


Draped and Stripped Away

by Madeline_Myrth



Category: Ancient Egyptian Literature & Mythology - Fandom, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Original Work
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Deities, Angst, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Complicated Relationships, Cousin Incest, Family Drama, Fluff, Heavily based on Egyptian mythos, I really suck at tagging, I'm gonna update the tags as I go along, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Watch out for explicit stuff, it's Egyptian mythology guys, please read the warnings in the chapter summaries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26891587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madeline_Myrth/pseuds/Madeline_Myrth
Summary: Egypt is finally free from the harsh reign of Set. Everyone, including Anubis, is relieved. The land has seen better days, but the new pharaoh seems to lack the capability to bring back those days. Meanwhile, Anubis struggles with old conflicts he thought he had buried.This is a retelling/reimagining of the original myths plus some post development.Feel free to comment or ask questions!Update: Will be going on a hiatus for a while. I've joked about this plenty of times, that I don't have a concrete plan for this story, but I'm starting to form one. And the previous chapters didn't gel well with each other or my future plans. This all started out as some weird longfic experiment, but I've definitely gotten invested. So this story is going through a huge revamp. Some chapters may or may not change a lot, it depends. So when I've finally returned and declare the hiatus over, I hope you'll read through it again! Lots of love to you all! Seeing other people read my story makes me want to do better for it! I hope you all understand! Thank you <3 (1/2/21)
Relationships: Anubis/Horus (Ancient Egyptian), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 23





	1. First Night - Chapter I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Myths vary. The version I use may not be the version you read and know. So please be understanding.
> 
> Also, the Egyptian pantheon is extremely convoluted. There are many variations of each god. You may have read from one source that Hathor was the wife of Horus, and there are sources claiming she’s the wife of Ra. So we don’t quite know which it is exactly. Stuff like this makes it complicated to write since the ‘canon’ isn’t clear.

Part One of the First Night

He saw a chariot.

He remembered touching that chariot, marvelling at how smooth the wood was. He recalled the impatient stomping of hooves from two reddish horses, the ground quaking slightly as they pawed against the ground; eager to run.

Suddenly, he was on the chariot.

The horses thundered across the hot desert sand, huffing and snorting as they pulled the chariot along with them. They were going so quickly that they out-sped the arid desert winds which howled angrily in protest. 

He remembered grasping his father's waist desperately, for his small body threatened to fall off and join the defeated winds. He watched as they entered the mouth of a village. Clay houses disappearing and reappearing much too quickly for his eyes to follow as they sped past. Beside them was the Nile, gurgling happily as though greeting and wishing them farewell at the same time. His father, whose loud laughter rang across the air before falling back with the wind, didn't bother to slow down. But instead called out apologies to those he had almost ploughed over. He remembered only letting out a laugh or two, much too focused on holding onto his father lest he falls off. He looked up to his father and met his grinning face.

"Isn't this fun, Anubis?" His father cried out with great vigour and delight.

Ah, he recalled, this was when Egypt was young; fresh and new. He would have answered his father. But he had already breached the surface of consciousness.

Anubis awoke tangled in the sheets of his bed, immersed in familiar darkness. Aware that he has awoken, the candles and braziers in the room light themselves up.

He sat up and stared at his sheets. Gods do not dream, they remember; recalling past moments and scenes that lay scattered deeply in their mind. Recalling the dream made his stomach turn uncomfortably. He hadn't seen his father smile like that in a long time. They were happy, he thinks, an unbearably long time ago, before the incident. He wished he could return to when Egypt was fresh and new.

But time moved on. The days moved on. And those days turned to years. Egypt no longer had innocent eyes, it's seen bloody schemes, treachery, and wars. It was impossible to go back to the way things were before. And because the gods aged with Egypt, it was impossible for them as well.

Enough.

Anubis left the bed and proceeded to wash his face from a bowl of water. It was about time he got ready for duty anyways. After drying his face with a cloth, he put on a _shendyt_ , tied a black linen sash around his waist, and slipped on his sandals. He dipped his hands in the water bowl to tidy his hair, attempting to straighten the locks that stuck out at the sides. Afterwards, he took his _khat_ and fixed it on himself. Once he had deemed himself presentable, he placed his bronze mirror back on his table before departing.

To the Hall of Truth, he went.

__________

The Hall of Truth rested in the Waterway of Osiris, in the third hour of Ra's nightly journey into the _duat_. It consisted mainly of the Hall of Truth, which served as the entrance and gate to _Aaru_ —eternal paradise, _Aaru_ itself, and the House of Osiris.

Once Anubis left the House of Osiris, he would arrive in the Hall where Osiris had yet to be seated on his throne. Slowly, judges would fill the Hall and take their respective positions on either side of the throne until all forty-two seats were filled. Osiris would enter once the hall was filled and only then would the judging ensue. Usually, it was just Anubis and Osiris who would be the only major gods present. Perhaps Thoth and Ma'at as well if they had no other more important duties. But it would be Anubis's job to escort the next soul to the Hall once all the judges were accounted for.

And Ammit, well and ready to feast.

Speaking of which, he found the creature stretched and laid at the foot of the scales of justice. Her crocodile maw was wide open as she snoozed away. Anubis went to stir the great beast (well, he calls her a great beast, but really she was barely larger than a hound). Giving her a few strokes to her lion mane was enough to make her hippo tail begin flicking back and forth.

"Come now, Ammit." Anubis chided, "you must be prepared and awake to rouse your appetite."

He could see the reluctance of Ammit to get up, but she did so anyway. After all, she held her duty with pride. It wasn't easy living up to the expectations of people who entered the Hall fearing an even greater beast.

Once Anubis had gotten Ammit up and running, he goes to take ivory chairs from their storage place and places twenty-one on each side of the throne. Next on his routine was finding something to eat. So he makes his way to Osiris's bustling kitchen, manoeuvring through the endless halls before finding the kitchen, full of _shabti_ and ghostly servants. Both were preparing food like bread, stews, honeyed-date cakes and much more. He walks to a large table to pluck a cake from its cluster, but before he could get his hands on one, he was stopped.

"Honeyed cakes in the morning, Anubis?"

Ah, how unexpected.

"Aunt Isis." Anubis greeted. "It's rare to see you here… in the morning."

Isis shook her head before passing him a basket of bread. "With preparations for tonight's coronation, I decided to spend more time with Osiris…"

Anubis could hear the sourness in her voice. Of course she would be upset, it was her son's coronation and victory celebration tonight, yet her husband is unable to attend because of his duties. He proceeded to stuff his mouth with pieces of bread, savouring the taste of olives within it. What a luxury, to be able to eat an expensive import for breakfast.

"Will you be attending?" Isis asks him, clearly amused by his previous antics.

He swallowed before nodding. "Yes, I doubt I could miss it. Besides… I imagine my father will be there—" Anubis's face contorted in irritation. "—I'm sure I will have to be present as a mediator."

Isis made a similarly twisted face. "I hope you see to it. This is a grand moment not just for the entirety of Egypt but for us gods as well."

With that, she left the kitchen with a basket and a jug of beer. As soon as she had left the kitchen, Anubis's body immediately moved towards the direction of the honeyed cakes, but they were gone from their place.

"Well played, dear aunt." Anubis could only mutter in disappointment. He would have to wait for the next batch.

___________

By the time he had returned, the last of the judges were filing into the Hall. And Osiris had come out of his chambers dressed in his usual royal garbs; white robes, an _Atef_ crown fitted onto his head, a pharaoh's beard strapped to his chin, and a crook and flail grasped tightly in his hands. A king of the dead.

Anubis stepped forward to greet the ruler on behalf of the court. Kneeling down, he bowed. "Lord Osiris," he greeted.

"Anubis," Osiris replied warmly.

He turns away from Anubis to address each of the forty-two judges before sending him out to bring in the first soul. As he walks to the entrance, he gently brushes the _Bennu_ feather in his hand. He's seen more faces of despair than he could count. Surely, today will be no different.

If you were to enter the Hall of Truth by its main gate, the first thing you will see is a long queue of confused and restless souls (however, should you enter through the side dock, you would enter the Hall through a different way), all having made it through the trials and tribulations that attempted to hinder them from reaching their goal; purgatory, now paradise was just a step closer.

The first to be brought in was a noble dressed in rich garments and adorned heavily with gold. And further past him were mortals from different social standings. Anubis approaches the man.

"It is time for your judgement," he says, guiding the soul through the gates.

The man looks almost pitiful with how afraid and nervous he looks.

"You have nothing to fear," Anubis whispers in an attempt to calm him down. "If you have adhered to the laws of Ma'at, then you will pass the judging."

The nobleman nods slowly and takes his place in front of Osiris, just across the scales, and Anubis leaves him to take his place beside said scales, gently letting the feather fall from his cupped hands and onto the plate which barely shifts on account of how light the feather was. Osiris motions for the nobleman to begin reciting his claim to innocence as the whole court listens on. It seems that he's been moderately good in life, but was being moderately good enough? He was balancing on a thin line. One misdeed and his heart will no doubt grow heavier. When he claims to have not committed any murder, the judge presiding over that crime scowls. Osiris notices this and summons him to stand.

"You have not committed murder, that much is true, but you have attempted to commit murder. Your dishonesty seals your fate, scoundrel. "The judge's voice rings loud and clear, full of accusation and finality. Murmurs break out across the court, judges conferring nuances with each other. Some remain silent, knowing there was no helping it.

The nobleman, however, has started to panic. Lips quivering and legs shaking, he attempts to explain his actions and motives. But his ramblings fall on deaf ears. Osiris holds his hand up to silence the panicking soul and tells him to continue. After the last few claims were recited, Anubis steps forward to take the nobleman's heart, it emerges from the nobleman's apparition and hovers into Anubis's hand. As he turns away, Anubis sends him a pitying glance. His heart contained his personality, character and intellect, it will be the final deciding factor as to whether he is allowed entrance to paradise. Once the heart has rested on the plate, It immediately dips.

The heart is heavier than the feather. The nobleman will die a second death, this being the last death he will ever die.

Cries of horror from the nobleman fills the Hall as Ammit, who had been eagerly waiting at the foot of the scales, stands on her mismatched legs and snatches up the heart from its place. She tears it into shreds and eats her fill.

The nobleman was no more. His soul had dissipated with a horrifying shriek.

"Anubis, bring in the next soul," Osiris commands. There was no reprieve for those with heavy hearts. No moment of silence. There were still plenty of other souls to judge—others who waited anxiously for their turn. The process must be sped along.

Without hesitation, Anubis moves from his place to bring in the next unfortunate soul.

__________

Soul after soul, only a few make it into _Aaru_. Only a select few who have been considered truly worthy by the laws written by Ma'at herself. And once the last soul has been judged, Anubis begins closing the Hall. The other souls will have to wait. But they will be attended to by multiple goddesses and servants to ensure their comfort as they do. Meanwhile, Anubis keeps the chairs and cleans the scales as soon as all forty-two judges have left. Osiris, however, stays behind to watch him work.

"It is now mid-afternoon in the world above, you must return to your quarters and prepare yourself for the upcoming event do you not?" Osiris inquires, "I can always have _shabti_ close the hall, and yet you always insist on doing it yourself."

"The upkeep of the Hall is my responsibility."

Osiris ignores his statement. "You subject yourself to menial labour, why is that?"

"You say it as though it is a bad thing."

The half-dead king chuckles in reply. "Very well then," he continued, "I will say nothing further."

Anubis is relieved when his uncle leaves. He wraps up his work quickly and says farewell to the contented Ammit who has begun her food coma at the foot of the throne. On his way to his room, he mentally prepares himself for the long and gruelling night of music, dancing, and wine.

The sun is past its peak point when he arrives on the Nile. His small reed boat, manned by a _shabti_ , rocks with the lazy lull of the Nile and as he stands at its prow, he can see small settlements on the east bank of the river bustling about with invigorated excitement. Flowers and all sorts of decorations were being hung up and scattered all over the village. Outside of their homes, women and children dance and play music as village leaders begin their own local celebrations.

It takes a bit longer to finally reach the capital city, but once the boat docks on the pier, Anubis can genuinely see how busy the city is. As he walks through the river-side market, he sees people carrying large baskets of freshly-caught fish and fruits. He smells the busyness of the local bakeries and how it wafts north with the wind. As he arrives at the centre of the city—where all the temples are—he sees, not only residents dancing out on the street, but performances of the duels his cousin and father partook in for the hand of Egypt; fighters wearing moulded masks to represent their respective side. He also sees flowers being tossed out on the street. The air is filled with merry. The atmosphere is cheery and lively in general. Everyone seems to be celebrating their liberation from a tyrant. Celebrating his father's loss and their freedom.

As he walks, nobody seems to recognise him. He isn't surprised. Anubis isn't a god of the living. The dead are those who see his face, and they are departed and gone. He isn't dressed inconspicuously either; he hadn't dressed extravagantly, the only thing which seems to signal his status is his necklace and sandals. Other rich folk are covered from head to toe in jewellery and richly-dyed robes. As he passes by a water vat, he catches a glimpse of himself. He notes that his skin is pale, compared to even the richest of nobles, and even other gods. Milky skin was a sign of wealth; it meant you didn't work a day in your life. Light skin came with royal blood, he was no royal. He never was. 

Anubis knew his position in their lives was extremely significant. But despite this, mortals couldn't help but talk. He supposed that they should've gotten it from somewhere; gods were awful gossips. That was how rumours of a mighty challenger grew amongst the common folk after all. The news spread like a fire untamed and goaded on by the wind. Hidden by hands, mouths closed and opened rapidly and out came whispers from both god and men.

As soon as he reaches the palace premises' guarded edges, he doesn't bother to line up with everyone else. Skipping right past the waiting guests, he nods to the guards in greeting, and they bow in return. As he walks through the painfully large courtyard, he spots a familiar lanky figure.

"Thoth." Anubis greets and bows his head.

The god of wisdom's thin lips hook upwards as if amused by his formality. "Anubis." He says, "you have impeccable timing."

Hearing this, Anubis became nervous. If the god of knowing things has been expecting you, then you're in for a hard time.

"What is it?" He asks.

Thoth steers him away from the open space and into a small corner behind some plants, going through basic pleasantries such as, 'how are you?' And 'how was your day?' Obviously paving the way for something far more intrusive.

Anubis gingerly removes Thoth's hand from his shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

Thoth only smiles.

Anubis nervously glances up. Thoth was only half a head taller than him, but seeing the setting sun cast a shadow over his face made him appear more malicious than he actually was.

"Curiosity, as per usual," Thoth says cheekily, "I'm curious as to how you feel about the situation."

Anubis expected interviews, and it was expected that the first query would come from Thoth. How could it not? This beak-nosed fellow felt no shame in probing into other people's business—granted 'people' actually had something interesting to share.

"I feel nothing," Anubis replied as monotonously as possible. "It is what it is."

Thoth raised a brow at him. "Truly? I would imagine that the son of the dethroned pharaoh would have some thoughts to spare…"

One would think that he intended to step on Anubis's toes, but knowing the god, he was just teasing. Always teasing. Despite the irritation crawling up his neck, Anubis knew Thoth well and didn't take the bait.

"I don't," Anubis replied curtly.

From the dissatisfied look on Thoth's face, Anubis knew he would no longer prod, which was relieving as the looks he would get from other gods and mortals were enough trouble for the night. 

Thoth simply moves away from Anubis and shrugs defeatedly, "alright, keep your secrets good friend." He gestures to the palace—now lit with bright lights—and says, "let's get inside, shall we? It's getting chilly now that Lord Ra has started his nightly journey."

'And the celebrations have just begun.' Anubis thinks to himself miserably as he allows Thoth to drag him into the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware that Egypt was referred to as kemet. I’ve decided to just use Egypt because it is more commonly known.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Shendyt - a kilt-like garment.  
> Khat - a head cloth worn by nobility. Much more simple than the nemes which was the iconic striped headdress of a pharaoh.  
> Duat - most well-known as the ‘underworld’ Of Ancient Egyptian mythology. It seems to be more like a different realm rather than one functioning unit like the Greek underworld.  
> Shabti - clay figurines that were meant to serve their masters in the afterlife.  
> Atef crown - the signature white crown of Osiris.  
> Bennu - a mythical bird that has connections to rebirth and life. Commonly said to be the inspiration of the Greek Phoenix.
> 
> 1\. Ancient Egyptian chariots were known for their speed and mobility. It also served as a mobile, stable platform for archers.  
> 2\. Egyptian civilisation really centred around the Nile. Even now. I suggest you search up satellite pictures of Egypt at night, it's amazing.  
> 3\. Ancient Egyptians might have had bed sheets and blankets of some kind. It could get extremely cold in the desert at night. We probably just don't have evidence of it because things like that decay rather easily.  
> 4\. Ancient Egyptians had little to no hair at all. Wigs were more preferred because wigs were more convenient since they could be taken off. It was probably easier to clean too.  
> 5\. The Hall of Truth (or Hall of Two Truths) is where the souls came for judging. There they would recite the 'Negative Confession' where they denied having committed any of the 42 crimes that the judges presided over. But different people would have different sets of crimes, so there was no 'one' set of crimes to confess to. I'm assuming the judges would be altered appropriately.  
> 6\. The Waterway of Osiris (also called 'Wernes' or 'Waters of Osiris') is apparently an extremely watery place in the duat.  
> 7\. Aaru also called the Field of Reeds/Rushes was basically paradise where souls would be able to harvest abundant crops (yes that was paradise to them), but for those who wished not to work, they could always have shabti do it for them.  
> 8\. The Egyptians drank more beer than water since it was cleaner and healthier. But because of their brewing methods (it was always quickly brewed) its alcohol content was rather low.  
> 9\. About the light complexion detail. It was not ‘white’ it was more of a lighter shade of the dark brown or black we would have associated with the Ancient Egyptians. Skin complexion is telling of one’s status. I used ‘milky’ because it was used in a source I read that described the appearance of the writer’s lover.  
> 10\. Egyptian society was mixed. Just south of Upper Egypt was Kush where the Nubians resided.


	2. First Night - Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anubis has to go through the motions and formalities before he gets to leave. But he isn't let go easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! It's tough to update during this period since I have exams and whatnot, but once they're over (they're almost over thankfully) I'll be able to update more frequently and hopefully get an updating schedule. 
> 
> Anyways, here's the second chapter! Comments and kudos are much appreciated.

Part Two of the First Night

It was crowded. 

So very crowded.

Anubis felt uncomfortable filing into the throne room with the multitudes of priests and noblemen that had come to acknowledge the new ruler as theirs. Thoth however, did not seem bothered, his neck sticking out as if he was looking for any familiar face he had come across before.

The rooms they passed by on the way were prepared with low, round tables and chairs, further furnished with bowls of fruit and flowers that brought life into the brightly-lit rooms. The walls themselves were brightly painted with beautiful scenarios of nature and wildlife, it was without a doubt that they were painted with the intention of bringing nature's beauty inside the walls of what was man's. 

"Hasn't changed has it?" Thoth chirped, "the palace."

"It hasn't."

"I wonder what your father would have done to the place if he had decided to."

Anubis made no comment. He doubts his father cared for what was on the walls, how guests are seated, or any of those things. It was off-putting; the image of his father standing in one of the many banquet halls directing servants where to put flower garlands and vases and fussing about the arrangements. His feet just kept moving, if not slightly more eagerly. The quicker he could get the ceremony over with, the faster he would be able to go home. Bast had always teased him as a recluse, but he never saw a problem with it. He liked minding his own business, rather than meddling with other's affairs. 

Yes, even the crowning of a new pharaoh was not considered his business. 

He never did belong to the land of the living, perhaps for a certain time he did, but it never truly felt as such.

Anubis hugged his arms, feeling the nightly chill run through his body. How long has it been since he had run through these very same corridors as a child? Back then, he had been at eye level with the green reeds that stretched across the wall, now he towered over them, standing face to face with the ibises and crocodiles that used to be gargantuan monsters. Everything seemed much smaller now, even the giant vases he would hide behind when his nursemaid came looking for him have shrunk. Time passes by too fast. In the blink of an eye, sweet and carefree days were gone, and in came bitter hardships. But he had to admit that, perhaps, it had passed for the better. For him and for others. 

__________

The throne room was filled to the brim with people, leaving only a small space at the front of the throne which sits on an elevated platform. It was a spacious room whose roof hid them from the moonlight, yet the columns that held it up left spaces for the moon's beams to creep through. The columns' capital was carved into the likeness of blooming lotuses, brought to life in hues of reds, greens and blues. Feathers were etched beneath their petals with the purpose of summoning aerial divinity to complement earthy motifs. On the shafts were numerous glowing and flickering hieroglyphs. Most were spells, etched on by magicians to protect against evil spirits or unwanted beings looking to enter the pharaoh's household. Some were simply odes to the pharaoh's greatness. Reading what he could catch glimpses of, Anubis noticed that many, if not all, were still directed to Osiris. When Anubis visited during his father's reign, his initial shock was shrugged off as he expected his father to mar the carvings or reconstruct them eventually, but here they were untouched. Anubis felt his throat tighten slowly. It was strange and unsettling; startling uncharacteristic of his father. 

Anubis and Thoth made their way to the front of the crowd, excusing themselves in the multitude of mortals that slowly melted away into a crowd of gods. The most prominent gods were arranged at the utmost front, consisting of gods like Isis, Hathor, and Sobek. Some even older like Shu and Tefnut. 

Anubis parted ways with Thoth when he spotted his modest mother standing close to Isis. Unlike his aunt, who had dressed extravagantly with heavy jewellery adorning her arms, neck, and head, his mother wore a beaded _kalasiris_ underneath a plain shawl with not a single piece of precious stone on her. His mother had always been more quiet and modest compared to her sister. Always in the background rather than the forefront. She looked similar enough to Isis, having the same facial features, but the drastic difference was their demeanour. Nephthys was slightly taller than her sister, but her shy posture and shrunk shoulders made her look much smaller. Her head would always be tilted down, contrasting to Isis whose head was ever lifted high, nose upturned. It was easy to tell the sisters apart from how they held themselves. 

A smile found its way on Anubis's lips as he reached his mother. Bowing curtly in greeting to his aunt before taking his proper place. Nephthys smiled back at him, warm eyes greeting him in their own unique way. She clutched onto his arm, and her head lifted ever so slightly with the boost of confidence she drew from him. 

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered, "I hope you're not too uncomfortable."

Anubis shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, "it's only a ceremony." 

His mother shot him a nervous look before glancing around the room, then back at him. "H-have... have you seen your father?"

Anubis blinked at this. "No... not at all actually," he whispered back, arching his head to witness his father's absence for himself. 

Nephthys held onto his arm harder. He could tell his mother was beginning to become anxious. 

It was foolish to even attempt so, but he tried comforting his mother anyway. "Do not fret, I'm sure he won't do anything... unsavoury." 

Unsavoury, like tricking his uncle into a sarcophagus and throwing it into the Nile. Unsavoury, like cutting his uncle's body up into pieces. Unsavoury, like reigning over Egypt with terror and violence. Was Anubis supposed to be this calm when his father wasn't accounted for? He was never confident about _anything_ that involved his father. What would happen if history repeats itself? This time he would be here to witness it. And the target would be his cousin rather than his uncle. Ever since Set had been defeated, his whereabouts remained unknown. Some said he left Egypt, some said he stayed in hiding. Nobody knew. What if... what if he just showed up tonight and caused chaos? What would he have to do?

"Anubis... It is beginning..."

His mother's voice grounded his consciousness from his fluster. He hadn't realised that his breathing had become subtly unsteady, eyes resting on the golden throne. Staring at the mesmerising designs carved on it. Staring at the emptiness that wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. Hearing horns blare, his head slowly shifts to the procession of guards that entered through a doorway located on the righthand side of the platform. They uniformly align themselves on either side of the throne, loudly proclaiming the arrival of their future king by the stomping of their feet and the landing of their spears as they halted. 

Then _he_ appeared.

He was dressed vastly different from when Anubis had last seen him. Instead of a simple _shendyt_ , he now wore flowing robes and gold bands on his arms and legs. Black kohl was applied around his eyes, making his heterochromatic orbs stand out even further with how they shined and glimmered. His right gleamed like molten gold while his left shimmered like silver. Much to his surprise, and probably everyone else's as well, their new ruler had kept his childish sidelock. It had been braided with falcon feathers similarly to when Anubis last saw him, but now he could see glimpses of lazuli beads interwoven into the lock as well. Despite the dignified appearance of it, a sidelock was still a child's thing. Only children wore them, and it was cut off once they had reached adolescence. Anubis could already hear a few murmurs from the back. Gods in the front kept silent, but he could feel their judgement emanate from their figures. 

However, the sidelock did nothing to hinder his overall regal appearance. He strode in front of the throne with such bolstering confidence that it made Anubis's chest warm. He radiated a sense of competency; capability. 

Power. 

Horus was powerful. Everyone in the room could sense it. Even Sobek who had stringent standards when it came to might held respect in his eyes. At least, the bare minimum he would care to display. 

Ma'at stepped from her place in their line with the _pschent_ in her hands. As truth and justice personified, she was the judge and mediator between gods and their conflicts. She oversaw the duels between his cousin and father. And tonight, she was going to crown a new pharaoh. Her signature ostrich feather adorns the side of her head, and her multi-coloured wings are swayed gently by her graceful steps. Anubis noticed that they had both worn robes dyed black, although her attire was complemented with little beads of gold. 

The room watches as Horus kneels once Ma'at stands before him. Raising the crown over his head, she speaks with such authority it makes the room tremble. 

"Horus, son of Osiris and Isis." She begins. "You have emerged victorious from the Contendings, and have successfully ensured that your father's legacy will be restored here in this land. Now your struggles will be rewarded, and your prize redeemed. I name you Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt; ruler of the gods."

The crown finds its place on his head, finally resting upon a king. As Horus stands once again, mortals prostrate themselves. Gods simply kneel and bow their heads. Anubis can hear the guards roaring and cheering as his cousin basks in the glory of his coronation. Ma'at slowly backs away to kneel with the rest of them before Horus commands them all to rise. It was a bit silly, how his voice seemed to be only breaching manhood. It still had tinges of adolescence while its deep timbre was still coming to be.

Nonetheless, it was able to manifest his newly-gained authority. He makes promises, promises of a peaceful Egypt and the curing of the wound left deep by her previous ruler. He asks for help, the people's cooperation to create an even better Egypt for all future generations. While I'm on the throne, he announces, nobody will suffer. 

Anubis holds back a snort. It was a bold claim, and an even stricter promise to deliver. It seems as though his attitude hasn't changed since he last encountered him.

'It will be your downfall,' he thinks, 'what will happen to you if you don't deliver?'

Was he challenging his king? Maybe he was. This fledgeling of a god has no ruling experience. As popular as he was, everyone knew he had grown up in the swamps of the Nile Delta. What had Isis taught him? Is fighting his only expertise? Some gods were concerned; however, all mortals were blind followers. But their eyes will be open to Horus's slip-ups and failures. If he commits any. 

__________

Here comes the part Anubis dreaded the most. When guests were guided into organised halls to make merry till morning, drunken on a river's worth of wine and beer. Once all mortals had been led to their respective banquet halls, the gods moved to their own personal hall. Of course, it was more extravagant than any banquet hall in the palace. Special privileges for special beings, he supposed. It was almost narcissistic. 

He stood by his mother—still in the throne room—watching Isis croon and hold her son, pride radiating from her form. The son she had groomed for one purpose has finally achieved it, now he must keep it. No doubt she would be by his side as he governed the land. But whether it would genuinely be Horus ruling or Isis, nobody would know. She was tricky like that, his aunt, conniving and painfully dutiful. Power-hungry was her defining feature. Only her loyalty to her family triumphed over it. Still, it made her no less noble or admirable. 

Anubis turned to leave the empty throne room, but his mother clutched onto his robes. 

"Where are you going?" She asks, "if you are going to the banquet hall, please wait for them." Her demeanour turns characteristically shy, "I would enjoy it if we could all go together. It has been so long since we were all together."

He wasn't sure how to break it to his mother that he wouldn't be staying for festivities. After hearing that, he felt his chest cave. He would never say no to a request from his mother, especially if the request was about something she held dear. With a bit of back-and-forth with his desires and obligations, he decided to stay. Although his mood had dropped significantly lower than it already was. He continued to watch his aunt and cousin talk until Horus breaks away from their conversation and approaches them instead. He first greets Nephthys, and they bow at each other, although his mother's bow was noticeably lower. She was his aunt, respect was due, pharaoh or not. When Horus turns towards him, Anubis fights to keep a straight face, lest his face contorts into an unfriendly scowl. They say nothing to each, but Horus offers him a small smirk.

Cocky.

Anubis gripped his robes. It took all of his restraint not to storm off and retreat back to the piers where he had arrived earlier that day to return home. Was Horus mocking him? If he was alluding to the less-than-amiable exchange they had days before, then Anubis was well and ready to slap that smirk off his face. Revelling in the idea of hitting his cocky cousin, Anubis musters up a smile to return before guiding his mother towards one of the courtyards where all the other gods had left to, not caring if the other two were following them or not. He could feel his mother's confusion as they walked past the columns and into the gardens. Of course she would be confused, she wasn't aware of the state of their relationship. It would break her heart to know that Anubis would break his cousin's nose if given a chance. 

"Anubis, are you alright?" She prods cautiously. 

He doesn't respond, only giving her his best smile, hoping it would be enough to reassure her. He would have to sit with his cousin for the duration of the celebration, at least allow him this. Crossing the gardens and entering the banquet hall, he sees a table at the other end, obviously meant for the pharaoh's immediate company as it was decorated even more lavishly than the rest. The other gods had already taken to chatting and eating as a group of musicians played in the background. The loud music and the continuous blur of chatter were already needling its way into Anubis's head, but he was going to endure if it meant giving his mother an enjoyable family reunion. Even though he was sure he had already ruined it. 

As soon as they take their seats, servant men and women filled their tables to the brim with meats, bread, cheese, vegetables, and fruits. Goblets filled with sweet wine were set where they were most accessible, obviously encouraging them to have their fill and more. Horus arrived with Isis shortly after, and together they make their way to where Anubis and Nephthys sat, greeting and thanking their guests along the way. There was conversation to be had amongst them rather than just basking in the noise, the silence amongst the sea of speech and melodies escalated the budding awkwardness. Anubis obviously had nothing to say, his mother was never the first one to strike up a conversation, and Horus didn't even seem inclined to talk, opting instead to serve his mother the foods she would enjoy before taking some for himself. So Isis was, of course, the one to finally disturb the water. 

"This is wonderful isn't it? Horus is finally pharaoh. Our family has now been restored to the throne." 

That was... not the most ideal topic to bring up. Anubis glanced at his mother, who had smiled hesitantly before agreeing. Anubis bit his tongue. There was some implication there, and Anubis dared not to dwell on it. After what his father had done, Isis had every right to deny Set a place in their family or even acknowledge said place. Anubis separated himself enough from his father to create his own identity, but he was still his father's flesh and blood. His mother was worse, still holding onto ancient guilt from the travesty her husband caused, and yet she still yearns to be reconciled. Both of them were at a loss on how to keep the conversation from hitting a dead end. Thankfully, Horus interjects before the silence could stew long enough to raise unwanted tensions.

"Mother," he said, "enough already. Let's talk about something else." He turns to Nephthys. "Aunt Nephthys, how have you been doing?"

And just like that, the conversation transforms into something less sensitive. Anubis listens as his mother gives short yet meaningful answers to Horus's surprisingly respectful questions. How Horus was acting now was different from their recent interactions. Maybe he just respected those older than him, but Anubis _was_ older than him so that can't be the reason. He decides to busy himself by filling his mother's plate as he listens.

"As a goddess of the Nile, we are incredibly reliant on you. I hope other river gods aren't causing you any trouble."

"Oh, not at all. Everything is quite peaceful. I'm sure the seasons will continue without much flux."

"Please approach me if there is any trouble, we are family after all."

Anubis takes some cheese and bread. The sharp and pungent smell of the cheese invaded his senses, it would do good to eat it with something to cut the saltiness. The bread he had picked had herbs and honey baked into it, giving character to an otherwise plain food. There were all kinds of meat on the table, mostly poultry like geese and chicken. Assorted varieties of fish were, too, set on the table. They were cooked in various ways, boiled, roasted, smoked, and brined; it was done to all the different meats. A vegetable platter was put on display with cabbages, radishes, onions, and lotus roots, to name a few. Anubis didn't even know where to begin with the fruits. Egypt spoiled her children with her fertility and abundance truly. Or maybe it was the abundance of fertility gods she housed.

"Will you be alright on your own?"

"Of course he will be alright, I've taught him enough! It isn't like I'll stay in the _duat_ for eternity. I'll come and visit every now and then to make sure he's doing well."

"Mother, that won't be necessary. You can enjoy your well-deserved time with father."

"Should you need any help, I'm sure Anubis will be happy to provide. He has experience in this area."

At the mention of his name, he looks up. His mother is smiling brightly at him while Isis is nodding in approval. Horus, however, looks less than pleased. His lips dip slightly into a frown. Whatever was on his face, Anubis didn't like it. So he shrugs.

"If Horus should need any." Is all he says before taking a bite of the cheese.

It really was too salty, he spreads a thin layer of it on his bread and adds some pieces of roasted duck meat onto it. Nephthys takes the opportunity to eat from her plate as Isis takes the conversation's reins and talks about agriculture. As he chews, he glances at Horus who is popping grapes into his mouth as he listens. He wasn't sure if Horus understood a thing the two women were talking about, but he at least seemed to be listening to pick something up.

Horus's silver eye catches his intrigue. It was swirling with a familiar magic; Thoth's magic. If his recollection was correct, his father had gouged Horus's left eye in a fight, and Isis had requested the help of Thoth to patch up the mess that was Horus's bloody and empty socket. Of course, Thoth did more than just patch it up. The old bird was a subtle show-off, as genuine as his assistance was. Still, in contrast to his other eye, it paled in comparison. His gold orb kept burning with something. He wasn't sure if it was personal ambition or a drive that wasn't even his own. Whatever it was, the burning could never be reconstructed by artificial means, rendering its silver brother lacking in emotion. Remembering the first time he locked eyes with those golden orbs sent featherlight tingles down his spine. Horus catches him and stares right back, unreadable thoughts crossing his face. In response, Anubis takes sips from his goblet and averts his eyes in the process. Horus's silver eye seems to wink at him from the corner of his vision. 

__________

_The figs in Anubis's basket jostle with every brisk step he takes. He received word from his uncle that Isis had returned with the little prince. The last time they had visited the_ duat _Anubis hadn't been able to meet the babe that rested in her arms. Months had passed, it was unbeknown to him why she had returned only now, but that didn't matter. When his aunt was here, it provided an opportunity to talk with her and absorb whatever knowledge she had to share. His aunt was admirable and knowledgeable about many things, especially so in the art of magic. Perhaps he could cradle the boy in his arms as he listened. Thinking about finally meeting his younger cousin made Anubis slightly warm. Could he already eat solid food? Was he able to walk on his own? He felt a pang of regret, not allowing his curiosity to move his feet when he first saw Osiris lift the baby in the air. It had been the jealousy, he supposed, the jealousy that had sprouted quickly when Isis and the babe first arrived, and died just as quick when they left._

_"Our son, Horus," Osiris had said, with a smile Anubis had never seen before, "he cannot stay here in the_ duat _, Isis wishes to raise him above for him to grow swiftly."_

_He said it with a smile that spoke of both unbelievable joy and sadness. Anubis was already a fully-fledged god by then, standing only a few digits lower than his uncle who was quite the imposing figure._

_"Grow swiftly? Is there a difference in time here and up there?" Anubis asked. It couldn't be, Ra's nightly journey coincided seamlessly with time here in the_ duat _and in the mortal realm._

_"She plans to refine his godly powers in order to mature the boy. That is the only way for us gods to grow, you should know this well." Osiris says, still looking ahead to where Isis's boat was eventually carried away by the murky and dark waters, the shadows swallowing the soft glow she emitted. "There are dangers in the realm of Ra that will mature his spirit and body at an incredible rate."_

_"Forgive me for saying this, but you do not sound pleased."_

_Osiris finally turns to him, his face contorted by concern and stress for the well-being of his son. "I am not. Anubis, I am not. Isis is ambitious, and she is willing to sacrifice our son's childhood to achieve her goals." He rubs his temples and walks off the stone pier. "Perhaps it is for the better. But who am I to say."_

_It was then something rams into his chest, knocking the air out of Anubis's lungs and causing the figs to trash dangerously, threatening to spill out of the basket. Anubis let out a groan as he takes a couple steps back to nurse the sore area._

_"Sorry, sir! I wasn't paying attention."_

_Anubis's eyes narrow as he regards the careless whelp with scrutiny, irritation creeping up his spine. He was a young boy, almost reaching adolescence, and for a split second, Anubis thinks a soul has wandered into the House of Osiris (they really aren't allowed in here). But the boy's form didn't flicker nor did it fade in certain areas. He had dark skin that was akin to bronze, and his build was slender, yet revealed developing muscles. He only wore a_ shendyt _with a leather band on each of his wrists. He wore no sandals, showing his dust-covered feet and dirty nails. He looked like... a boy from a rural village, nothing special. Noticeably, his sidelock was braided with falcon feathers, an unusual choice of apparel for a child._

_But his eyes._

_His_ _eyes. They were striking. Those irises shined like molten gold, still burning hot from an artisan's forge. They blazed brightly, full of something something something. It was a drive that was lost on him as a child, typically lost on every child. There was importance swimming in those eyes; purpose. Who was this child? To whom did he belong to?_

_"Sir?" He hears the boy call out. When Anubis does not respond immediately, the boy begins to mutter to himself. "Mother is going to be pissed if she hears I've already caused trouble..."_

_He mutters it with such apprehension that Anubis was inclined to fear this mother of his. He found it rather amusing._

_Fixing his jumbled_ khat _, a soft chuckle slips through his lips as he throws the tied end over his shoulder._

_"You don't have to worry about that. I'm perfectly fine. What are you doing here, running around in the halls?" Anubis asks, having to look down at the boy to meet his eyes._

_"Exploring. My mother says that my father owns this palace. She said it's ours, so I could go wherever I wish."_

_At that, Anubis almost drops the basket of figs. Almost._

_The colour of his eyes really gave it away. He had to be the product of_ some _prominent god. Such an eye colour was unique and scarce. He just didn't expect this dust-covered boy to be his younger cousin. He expected Isis to have higher standards when it came to hygiene. Yes, those dirt-caked feet were really still bothering him._

_"What about you? Where are you headed? Why the basket of figs?"_

_"I'm going to visit your mother. Can you take me to her?"_

_Anubis, by all means, wasn't great with children. But if there's anything he's learned from Bast, it's to be charming and friendly. So he gives his best smile, trying to channel his mother's maternal kindness, and adds, "I understand you were going to explore, perhaps I can be your personal guide once after I've met your mother?"_

_Horus seems to dislike the idea of his exploration to be held up by this stranger's business, but by the looks of him cupping his chin and pondering, he also seemed to be entertaining the thought of having a personal tour guide._

_"What business do you have with my mother?" Horus asks, voiced edged with caution. Smart but unnecessary._

_"Well, she's my aunt, and I haven't seen her in a long time. So I wish to pay her a visit."_

_The look on Horus's face draws a fit of laughter from Anubis that he has to cover with his hand to avoid appearing unseemly._

_"Oh! So you're Anubis! It's nice to meet you! I think my mother had been expecting you actually." Horus exclaims, and pulls on Anubis's free hand, forcing him to readjust the basket of figs on his hip. Suddenly, he turns bashful, "you're still going to bring me around the palace, right?"_

_"Of course, I said I would didn't I?"_

_Satisfied by this, young Horus begins to pull him back the way he came, humming a small tune as they walk._

_Horus was a curious one, probably adventurous as well. Anubis liked that. His little cousin may seem to have boundless energy, and it was sure to tire him out, but it was a fresh breath of air when considering that most of the residents of Osiris's household were old geezers even by Anubis's standards. He wondered if Horus was already breaching maturity. After all, it only had been a few months since he was last a tiny babe, now he was walking and running. What domain will he preside over? Both of his parents were fertility deities. Osiris watched over the growing fields of wheat whereas Isis, to an extent, watched over the fertility of living beings. Perhaps Horus would be a fertility god?_

_As they walked, Anubis began to hear music. Music? From where? He looked around for the source, but it seemed to come from nowhere. Horus shoots him a questioning look, and Anubis just smiles dismissively. Where was it coming from? Suddenly there was chatter too. Anubis stares at the small yet calloused hand that pulls him through these oddly long corridors. It feels as though every step lulls him to sleep._

"Anubis?"

His mind snaps awake from his subconscious. 

Anubis swirls his head to face his aunt, who had just called him from his daze. 

"Ah, yes?"

Had he slipped into another memory? He just had a murky descent this morning. It wasn't like him at all to do this. Usually, his mind would be focused on what was occurring in the present. Anubis rubbed his eyes, he hadn't realised he had been staring as he fell through his consciousness. 

"You've been staring at one of those dancers for quite some time now." His mother supplied helpfully. 

Dancers? He didn't even realise that the dancers have entered the room and started their performance. He watched them for a while. He observed the way their hips bounced and quivered, arms and wrists as fluid as water. They wore nothing but beads around their necks and waist, leaving nothing to the imagination. The slight shaking of beads punctuated their movements along with the music. Of all the things to be staring at...

Isis only smiled at his apparent embarrassment. "If you have any request regar—" 

"No!"

Anubis had never cut off anyone so fast before. If his face wasn't already flushed enough, it continues to burn even hotter. He brings his palm to his face and rubs in between his eyebrows, hoping to quell the fire in his cheeks. As he fumbled around with the words in his head, he hasn't failed to notice how Horus observes him. 

"What I mean to say..." Anubis clears his throat. "I have no interest in... any of which you may be insinuating. I was simply observing. Performers are not something I see often."

He hopes that was enough to kill the topic. The burning was settling down now that he's composed himself. However, he wasn't surprised when Horus speaks up to reignite it.

"Are you sure? The one you've been staring at is well-endowed. She must be a pleasure to have in bed."

What is he trying to do? Now Anubis is seething in his seat with his cheeks lit aflame once again. His mother lets out a nervous chuckle while his aunt rolls her eyes. Horus tosses the casual remark into the air jokingly, but they are prodding for something.

Anubis wanted to scream in frustration. But he lets out a sigh instead.

"Very funny, cousin," he says, "I think I'll leave for some fresh air."

He doesn't wait for anyone's response. He gets up and leaves the hall, mind aching for the peace the courtyard can provide. As his robes flutter from his sudden departure, he could hear Horus's faint voice excusing himself from the table.

Anubis walks faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was really long, I just wanted to get the ball rolling already. And we finally get to see some interactions and not just Anubis's mopey thoughts HAHAHA. 
> 
> Pshent - The signature crown that a pharaoh wears. It is a combination of the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
> 
> 1\. I'm not really sure of what exactly were painted on palace walls because most of the surviving architecture we have are tombs and temples. That being said, palace walls were probably painted too, just not like how tombs and temples are painted. I took creative liberties with the description of how the palace looked. From what I researched, the throne rooms were rather small and enclosed.  
> 2\. I have no idea what a Egyptian coronation ceremony is like. What I've read seemed to suggest that the coronation was held over many days through different festivals and rituals.  
> 3\. A kalasiris is the sheath-shaped dress we most commonly see women wear in Ancient Egypt.  
> 4\. The Contendings of Set and Horus was actually oversaw by the Ennead (Latin, Enneas being Greek)/Pesedjet (Egyptian) (consisted of Ra (or Atum), Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. Sometimes included Horus). But I like the idea of Ma'at acting as some kind of referee alongside the Ennead. That might appear in the story later.  
> 5\. The seasons in Egypt centralised around the Nile’s flooding cycle. Akhet (when the Nile flooded) [June-Sept], Peret (when they would plough the land and plant) [Oct-Feb], and Shemu (when they harvested) [Mar-May]. The flooding of the Nile left rich, black soil in its wake which is why they planted after the Nile flooded. Since the Nile’s flood cycle was extremely predictable, the Egyptians were able to capitalise on that unlike rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia whose flood cycles and magnitude of said flood were unpredictable.  
> 6\. I think this was an old idea, or something I read somewhere. But if I'm correct, Horus's two eyes signify the sun and moon. Maybe it was just the eye that was gouged out that represented the moon. But I liked the idea so in it goes.  
> 7\. A digit is a unit of measurement in Ancient Egypt. It is the width of a finger.  
> 8\. At her very core, Isis was the goddess of wisdom and magic. It was when her worship became more widespread did she get new domains such as fertility.  
> 9\. Apparently belly dancing originated in Egypt? I did not know that. 
> 
> I hope you guys are excited for what happens next! It was super fun writing the interactions between Horus and Anubis. Hm, I wonder why they're the way they are...


	3. First Night - Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anubis gets through one last conversation with Horus before he finally, finally gets to return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER CHAPTERRRR YAYYY. I'm so glad to get this one out. It was really hard to get out.
> 
> Oh, yet another thing I wanna mention before we start. I use a lot of the Greek versions like Horus, Isis, Anubis, etc. But while I would have used their original Egyptian names (Heru, Aset, Anpu, etc.), the Greek ones are more well-known. However, I use Set (Egyptian) rather than Seth (Greek) mainly because it's not.. a modern name. I just prefer Set over Seth. And while I also prefer Heru over Horus, Horus is like.. the one EVERYONE knows. Mostly. So.. it's for practicality.  
> I've also been going back and updating chapters, if I happened to find a typo or needed to add info I had forgotten haha.

Part Three of the First Night 

Laughter.

Birds chirping.

More laughter.

The rustling of trees, dancing with the wind.

Muddled conversations between two voices that were never heard together again.

The air of the courtyard was freezing, and the needling of its iciness into his skin did well to keep his mind surfaced. With every prick here and there, it kept the lulling memories that threatened to pull Anubis back under at bay. The sound of his sandals softly scraping against the ground echoed throughout the vastness of the courtyard, which was essentially a maze of greenery and ponds. Long strips of water were surrounded by various trees, such as those of sycamores and acacias. Occasionally one might see a willow tree, hovering closely over the water as if watching itself weep. Settling on top of the ponds' surface were delicate blue lilies, swaying with subtle movements as fish swerved past their stems. The pleasant aroma of fruits and flowers mingling together tickled his senses as he passed by all manner of flowers. 

He stopped by a strange-looking poppy.

Amidst the bright red buds was a bud that didn't quite look like the others. Or rather, it was merely a different colour. Its colour was a bright blue, similar to those of the lotuses in the pond. He bends down to take a closer look. How unique it looked; a different bud from the rest. As his eyes sweep over the other poppies on the same bed, searching for another queer one, he spots a figure leaning against a tree, few rows down. 

Anubis gets up and continues to walk, alert to the sound of brisk footsteps from behind him. Anubis thought he had lost Horus the first time, exiting out of the banquet hall, but here he was again. Anubis was in no mood for a confrontation. As he continues to walk, his pace gradually increases, until he breaks out into a run. He makes dizzying turns into different sections of the garden, hoping to lose him. It was stupid to run, really. He doubts there was any real difference he could make if Horus started running too. But he focuses on losing the other god as best as he could. 

By the time he's reached the back of the garden, Horus is nowhere to be found. In relief, Anubis drags his feet towards the largest pond in the garden. It was no different from the others, but rather than a long thin strip of water, it was more rectangular. A giant statue of Ra that was carved from one of the walls of another palace stood at the very end of the pool, hands held out to cup the fountain water that fell from above him. The water overflowed from his cupped hands and into the pond, sending gentle ripples across the surface. It was believed that the water that flowed from Ra's hands would purify the water. A manifestation of Ra's power and all that. Anubis found it a bit funny sometimes, but images and form _did_ hold the ability to house power, or manifest it.

Anubis sits himself down at the sandstone edge of the pool. 

He hasn't run for very long, and yet his arms and legs were dampened with sweat. His chest heaved shallowly, the cold air burning his throat and lungs. Anubis feels the statue's gaze upon him, it felt judgemental in a way. He has met Ra only once. They never talked to each other after that meeting, especially after he called Anubis, 'Set's bumbling whelp,' in reference to when the old god first met him as a baby. It was hard to tell whether the god was joking or not. One moment the god could be laughing and making witty jokes with that scratchy, paper-thin voice of his, before suddenly interrogating you as though you were responsible for a heinous crime the next. 

The beating of wings almost made Anubis fall into the pond.

He turns in shock to see Horus standing there, wings behind his back already starting to fold themselves in. "Going to bolt with your tail in between your legs?" Horus taunted. "You could try, but I'll only pin you down."

Anubis doesn't move. He watches as Horus languidly approaches, mismatched orbs absorbing everything within its peripheral vision. Eventually, they land on the statue of Ra.

"You ever met the old man?" He asks, stopping in front of Anubis. Anubis doesn't like the way Horus's form covers him from the moonlight, towering over him as though hiding him from whoever could be watching them. 

"Once," Anubis says, quietly.

"He doesn't like me." Horus began to laugh, softly. "I can't blame him. If my _ren_ was used for personal gain, then I would be... incensed."

Horus continues to stare up to the statue, silently contemplating something. "How did I look up there?" 

Anubis blinks. "What?"

"Do you think I look like a king?" 

Horus was looking at him now, head tilted down, eyes shining from the shadows that darkened his features. "Do I look like a king to you?"

He could feel Horus scanning his face for any tells, for anything that might give him the answer he wants. 

Why was he asking this? Affirmation? If it was, Anubis wasn't ready to give it. He never was before, and he still isn't now. Anubis would never verbally go against his father, more so after knowing his father's true intentions for usurping the throne. It was the least he could do. He disapproved of the way his father ruled, but he wasn't about to speak against his father.

"You said you would become pharaoh, did you not? And you became pharaoh." 

"But do _you_ see me as a king?"

"You were crowned pharaoh weren't you?" 

Horus's patience was wearing thin, Anubis could tell. He drew closer and closer as if eagerly anticipating the answer he was looking for. He only had to continue prodding. It put Anubis on edge. 

"Just tell me, am I pharaoh to you or not?" His voice continues to escalate in harshness. There is biting and snapping in his words.

"Stop asking–"

"JUST GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER FOR ONCE!"

Anubis flinches and warily watches as Horus pulls away from him and raises his hand. For a second Anubis thinks Horus is about to hit him, but instead the hand lands on the bridge of Horus's nose, pinching and rubbing. 

"You were _never_ on my side from the beginning. Is that it?" Horus's voice is trembling slightly from his outburst. Anubis only prays that nobody heard it. "You... cared for me, but that was where it ended. You never supported me in this undertaking of mine. It was because you were never on _my_ side."

Anubis wanted to stand up and protest that he wasn't on _anybody's_ side. But the last thing they both needed was another argument. Granted, this was the first time they were both talking about this. 

"What occurs on the land of the living isn't any of my business..." He murmurs. At this point, Anubis only wishes for it to be true. 

"That's not the point!" Horus exclaims, throwing his hands up into the air. The bridge of his nose is red, from the rubbing and the bubbling anger. "And maybe whatever happens here doesn't matter to you, but the one ruling it should."

Suddenly Anubis's vision jerks and all he could see are Horus's two gleaming orbs, almost blinding his own. His hands fly to where Horus had grabbed his robes, gripping the other god's wrists tightly. Horus is growling, _seething_. 

"I rule over not only Egypt but the deities who live in it too. I am the _pharaoh_ of the _gods_. I. am. _Your._ King." The way he punctuates his words draws out a defiant, weak but pronounced growl from Anubis. "Your indifference is driving me INSANE! As you've said, I told you I would become pharaoh, and I have."

Horus's voice drops into an almost soundless whisper, and his grip slackens. "Why doesn't that elicit _any_ reaction from you?" 

He drops Anubis, who lands on the ground with a humiliating 'thud.' He could hear tinges of pleading in his voice. But Horus doesn't plead. He never does. Anubis writes it off as the stress straining through his throat. Only Horus's back faces him now. Anubis roughly swallows his disappointment, he forces back down the absurd yearning to see those eyes. He doesn't dare to get up, he feels as though any sudden action would result in him being grabbed again, or pinned, possibly worse. Horus's heavy breathing is evident in the stillness of the gardens. Now Ra's gaze judges them both. 

Brown, mottled wings begin to unfold through Horus's skin, pushing past the linen robes that bounded them. They unfurl with such magnitude it sends gales rushing around them; magnificent, their pattered plumage preened to a shine. Horus turns back to Anubis, his face was calm now, although remnants of his outburst linger on his face.

"I–" He stops himself and pauses for a moment. "We will not speak of this again. I will return to the banquet hall." 

With only a few flaps, Horus bursts into the sky in a spiral. Anubis continues to watch as Horus's form shrinks with the expanding distance between them. 

Anubis rises shakily. He dusts off his robes and tidies his appearance, trying to shake off the apprehension from moments ago. Using water from the pond, he washes off the dirt and dust from his arms that braced his fall. Thankfully his robes weren't affected. He stares at his reflection for a while. It stares back in a ridiculing manner. 

'Looks like your inner turmoils are coming back to haunt you hm?' It seems to tell him. 'After burying them for so long, they're dragging you back down. Or rather, they're rising up to meet you.' 

Anubis swipes a hand through the image and the voice. He'll force it back down if he has to.

__________ 

Nephthys is standing outside the banquet hall. Other gods have already started leaving, but from all the noise inside the hall, it seems as though most are still present. She stands at the side, looking ahead as if searching for him. Once he appears, she moves to meet him. 

"Anubis! Are you alright?" Nephthys asks, immediately raising her hand to feel his forehead, "Horus says you weren't feeling well and that you needed time for yourself."

He holds his mother's hand tenderly and moves it away. "I'm feeling fine now, mother. It's getting late, isn't it? Already the twenty-third hour. Let's return to the docks."

The journey to the docks is met with more silence. As they leave the gates, the guards wish them a good night, and they return the sentiment, waving goodbye. Aside from hushed conversations carried out by adults and the elderly from within their homes, the streets were silent now. Occasionally, a meow or bark would ring throughout the air, sending echoes that disturb its tranquillity. The night's mild temperature coaxes people to sleep on their roof decks where they're finally relieved of the sun's fiery rays. The sky is clear tonight, allowing the moon to shine its brightest, as well as the millions of stars that are dispersed across the sky, surrounding and flecking the white mist that blended with the dark void. 

"Mother is as beautiful as always," Nephthys murmurs in awe. 

Anubis agrees. Nut's beauty is a familiarity to all. As they walk, Anubis can't help but feel more conscious of the ground he's treading. He feels sorry for Geb, the earth god who is separated from his wife indefinitely. He then glances at his mother. It gives rise to bitterness when he thinks about how his mother shares the same fate as his grandmother, separated from their significant other. At the back of his mind, he hopes that he doesn't end up with the same future.

The docks are lifeless when they reach there, fishermen and ferrymen all in their homes or resting in a far off place. But Anubis finds his barge where he left it. It creaks with the gentle sloshing of the river, the lantern hanging at its prow glowing with a soft light. The _shabti_ that operated the boat was no longer in its full form but was small and compact, tucked near the lone, wicker seat underneath a linen canopy. Anubis helps his mother into the boat, steadying her as she finds her balance. Before he could get on, he hears a sharp cry of a kite pierce through the sky. He and his mother watch as a small, blue kestrel land on the pier. It begins to shift with a harsh glow until standing in its place was Isis. 

"Good," she says, batting away feathers from her robes. "I caught you just in time."

"Isis?" Nephthys exclaims in surprise. "I thought you were going to remain in the palace for a few more days."

"You're correct, I was going to, but my loving son insisted I leave things to him." His aunt sighs. "I suppose after the beheading incident I should have learned. But a mother's love and concern know no bounds."

She turns to Anubis with an apologetic smile. "Sorry nephew, this is quite unplanned, but I'll be joining you for the ride back to the _duat._ " 

"It's not a problem."

He moves to help his aunt board the barge, but she swiftly gets on and makes herself comfortable on the chair. She picks up the _shabti_ and holds it up. 

"Do you need me to activate this?" She asks.

Before Anubis could respond, his mother interjects. "Not at all!" She says quickly, "I can move the boat."

"Then I will be the one to open the portal into the _duat_."

Anubis boards the barge and unties it from the pier. He then gently nudges the boat away from the dock to give his mother space to manipulate the water around them. Nephthys steadies herself, holding onto the mast as she wills the water's currents to carry the boat. Soon, they were on their way south, towards Upper Egypt. 

As their boat sways gently with the currents, Anubis makes himself comfortable on the floor. He listens for the chuffing of hippos or the snarls of crocodiles, in the dead of night, nobody dares to journey on the Nile where dangerous creatures lie in wait for an unsuspecting meal. The cicadas are a pleasant distraction from the threatening hints of peril, buzzing into the night, owning its serenity. Nephthys picks up the pace, and the boat begins to bump against the waves. As they speed through, fog starts to crowd around the side of their barge, it's a telling sign of their crossing into the _duat_. The sharp gleam of Isis's eyes signal that she's started opening layers, peeling them back to allow them to slip through into the underworld. The fog continues to enlarge until it completely engulfs them. And as suddenly as it appeared, it disappears, falling back from their momentum. Above them, the sky shimmers and ripples as though they're peering at it from beneath the waters. Its light fades slowly until soon, it is only darkness that surrounds them. They've arrived. 

They travel in the darkness, with only the sloshing of water as their only sign that they had not accidentally delved into emptiness. And it is eerily silent, as though no breath is being drawn or exhaled. In the murkiness, a faint light emerges. As the barge draw closer, the light shines stronger, revealing a stone pier and two flames dancing on their respective mounted braziers. On the dock is Osiris, holding his own oil lamp. Anubis stands and prepares the rope to tie the vessel, as the boat slowly docks itself, he steps off and ties it down. Isis hops right off and into Osiris's arms, who reciprocates her eagerness with a tight embrace. Anubis helps his mother off the boat, and once her last foot lifts from the barge, the lantern at the prow extinguishes itself. 

"I'm glad that you're all back safe and sound." Osiris smiles before facing Isis. "I thought you were going to stay with Horus, my love?"

Isis huffs and crosses her arms. "Our son doesn't want his mother with him, so he's kicked me out."

"Sounds very much like Horus to do so," Osiris exclaims with a hearty laugh. "It's already very late, I'm sure it's in everyone's best interest to retire."

They first enter the Hall where Ammit greets them next, scampering over on her mismatched legs. Anubis immediately bends down to receive her greetings, allowing her rough tongue to soak his face with slobber. He wants to play with Ammit for a bit before retiring so he gestures for the rest of the party to move on ahead, Osiris and Isis comply while his mother stays behind. She watches amusedly as Anubis rubs Ammit's belly. 

"Sometimes I'm in awe of how close the two of you are." His mother says, bending down to run her hair through Ammit's mane. "I don't see you play with your jackals this way."

"My jackals are messengers, mother, not pets."

"Hmm, what kind of messages do you receive? I'm not aware that you're in touch with other gods."

Anubis squints at this. Was she implying that he had no... friends? He coughs awkwardly. "I get updates on happenings. My jackals hear many things, so they report anything of relevance back to me." 

His mother giggles. "Is that all? What about Horus? Are you still in touch with him?"

Anubis frowns. Damn, how is he being mentioned here? Anubis shakes his head. "We never messaged each other often in the first place." Then he adds, "Bast and I are more close."

Nephthys raised a brow at this. "Really? I wasn't aware that the two of you were close."

"I wouldn't say very close, but we talk to each other more often than I'd like to admit."

Ammit hisses for the attention that had shifted towards conversing rather than giving her pets. Hence, Anubis focuses on scratching behind her ears and below her chin to keep her satisfied.

"Oh, well, Bast is quite nice... But it's important to keep in touch with your cousin." His mother murmurs, holding one of Ammit's paws. She shakes it a bit, and Ammit's tail slaps the ground in delight. 

"You're just worried about him, aren't you?" Anubis replies. "Why are you worrying over him? He's not a kid anymore."

"Anubis, I'm worried because it's going to be the first time he will be alone." His mother says gently. He doesn't like how she's speaking to him, it's as though she's talking to a child. "Unlike you, he's had his mother by his side for almost all of his life..." Anubis turns to look at her, but his mother's eyes are already downcast.

No. They aren't doing this tonight. 

He quickly gets up, much to Ammit's disappointment. She flips over to Nephthys who complies with more pets. "It's fine." He quickly interrupted. "Let's not talk about this now, there are plenty of other times when we could."

Nephthys slowly nods and gets up, her expression is grateful for the interception. Just like him, she had the tendency to lose herself in the muddiness of her thoughts, unlike him, she had a more challenging time bringing herself out of it. Ammit, now realising that she wouldn't be getting any more attention, waddles to her place near the scales and rests her head. She's still looking at them with her reptilian eyes, maybe hoping that she would get a bit more pampering. But finally closes them when Anubis and Nephthys walk past. 

They exit the Hall and walk through a sheltered walkway that connects the Hall of Judgement to Osiris's palace, arriving at the small garden that welcomed residents. Unlike the ones in Egypt, the courtyard was much more squarish rather than a long rectangle. Various plants are all smushed closely together with a singular round pond in the centre. Surrounding the garden were multiple entrances to different palace locations, such as the kitchen, but the one they needed was only right across. So they walk past a few rose bushes and the pond, under a few trees, and stop under the shade of the open corridor. Around the corner was a flight of stairs that lead up to the second floor where Anubis's living quarters were. His mother's quarters was much farther along the corridor, and up around the third floor. Anubis would have walked her to her room, but his mother had given him a kiss on the forehead and whispered, "goodnight." Before hurrying to her room on her own. 

Anubis ascends the stairs. When he reaches the top, he sees one of his jackals, but it's sleeping against the wall. He leaves it be and walks past the various paintings of golden fields of wheat and the Nile. He passes by a patrolling _shabti_ and finally reaches his room. Once he pushes open the wicker doors, a sense of comfort and safety overwhelms him. Automatically, the braziers and candles light up when his presence is sensed. He then stumbles over to the sofa and collapses, immediately closing his eyes. With a wave of his hand, all light from the room is snuffed. He feels much too lethargic to wash himself up tonight, perhaps he would do so in the morning. Tomorrow was a day-off, wasn't it? He was sure it was. Especially since Horus was just crowned, the next day would be a holiday.

Horus...

He acted strange today. Asking... what was he asking again? Something about opinion, was it? He looked so angry. And hurt. The image of his back turned against him persists in his head. It's really dark, it's as though Anubis is being swallowed. He feels heavy. If only Horus would turn his head, let the light from his eyes cut through the enclosing darkness, maybe lighten the load that threatens to crush Anubis's body. Won't he turn this way? 

Horus doesn't. Anubis's consciousness snaps shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kind of hard to write. I definitely didn't want to mess it up, but I think it turned awkward anyways, much to my chagrin. 
> 
> There are some mentions of different tidbits in mythology in this chapter. For example, when Horus mentions something about Ra's ren. In a version of Horus's rearing (not a lot of sources on that), Isis imbues Horus with Ra's ren, making him more powerful. Something of that sort. How Isis got Ra's ren is a story for another time.
> 
> 1\. Originally, gardens were only used to plant vegetables and other foods. But as time went on, pleasure gardens became a thing which were filled with trees, flowers, and ponds.  
> 2\. Poppies were used for medicinal purposes, specifically as an analgesic or narcotic. Other flowers in Ancient Egyptian gardens were daisies, chrysanthemums, jasmines, and roses. The roses really look different than what they typically look like.  
> 3\. The ren was one of nine parts of the soul, being the name. The rest are khet (the physical body), sah (the spiritual body), ib (the heart), ka (vital essence, or basically life energy from what I gather), ba (personality), shut (the shadow), sekhem (form, kind of vague, apparently it's life energy that can be manifested to manipulate one's surroundings. Maybe gives the ability to perform magic), and akh (intellect).  
> 4\. Horus is either a falcon or hawk. Either way, I chose the peregrine falcon design for his wings since they're the most common. Falcons are really cute aren't they?  
> 5\. The Egyptians divided their daytime into 10 hours, and their nighttime into 12 hours. For the day, they added one hour for sunset and one hour for sunrise. Thus creating twenty-four hours in a day.  
> 6\. There are two rivers, according to the Egyptians, the Nile and the river in the sky that Ra sails on. That river loops into and out of the duat, or underworld to be more specific. I just left Isis to do some magic because the duat is described as more of a realm rather than just a place where souls go through challenges to reach the Hall of Truth and where Ra's makes his nightly journey. It's also described as a place where the gods live. But hm, the gods are living in Egypt now aren't they? We'll have to read on ;)  
> 7\. The Ancient Egyptians had their compass directions flipped, so North was south, South was north, East was west, and West was east. It gives me a headache, especially when typing dialogue that involved directions. I'll try not to make it confusing. 
> 
> THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE KUDOS AND COMMENTS! Hope you will continue to enjoy the story. Also hoped you learnt something.


	4. First Sunset - Chapter I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set before the Contendings, Anubis spends time with his younger cousin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an outline for this chapter but I ended up derailing from it. But this chapter was such a pain in the ass, I had to get a friend to proofread it for me, thank her in the comments because, without her, this would've been painful to read :')  
> Anyway, because (as I've mentioned in the past) I set the damn story in the middle of a mess, I have to give you dear readers insight on what happened before where we started our story. So here is my brilliant solution. Don't think too hard about the new section title please hahaha.
> 
> ALSO, I AM SO SORRY. MY UPDATE SCHEDULE IS SO BAD. Schedule what schedule I don't have a schedule. But yes, sorry. Have this extra-long chapter.

Part One of the First Sunset

He hears his name called.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

The voice is so faint and muffled, Anubis thinks it's a scrap of memory gone loose in his mind. 

When his name is whined the fourth time, Anubis's eyes remain shut in hopes that the noise will stop. There's only a momentary pause until he feels the voice in his ear.

He forces an eye open and meets two golden ones staring back at him.

"Anubis!" Horus exclaims. "I've been calling you for forever! You wouldn't open your doors, so I let myself in."

Anubis forces himself up on his arms and glares at Horus.

"What is it that you need for you to wake me up..." He catches a glimpse of the clock situated near his window (the _duat_ has no sense of time; clocks like these were charmed to follow the daily cycle of above. It would be sad to lose track of time after all). "...It is the sixth hour!" He falls back on the bed and turns away from Horus. 

"This is normally the time you get up!" Horus protests.

"Today is an off-day. I sleep in during off-days."

"Wha—so you have off-days?? What about my father??"

"We take turns. Now be quiet and let me rest."

Horus lets out a grumble. "You're morning attitude is horrendous. I'm surprised souls don't recoil from you when you bring them into the Hall."

When Anubis doesn't respond, Horus clicks his tongue and climbs on top of him. The weight of Horus straddling the side of Anubis's stomach forces him to shallow his breathing. Nevertheless, he ignores his cousin.

"Hey! Get up already!" 

When Anubis doesn't comply, Horus shoves Anubis from his side, causing his head to slip off the headrest and onto the bed. His eyes shake in their sockets as his head ricochets from the woven surface. Horus is now directly on his stomach, causing breathing to become even more strenuous. But he doesn't relent. He glares up at the young god on top of him. Horus's growth has slowed down considerably during his stay in the _duat_ ; his form has barely aged since his arrival. And although he partakes in hours of combat training, his awkwardly long, gangly limbs have yet to be filled out.

"What do you want, you inconsiderate child?" He wheezes.

Horus crosses his arms. "I am not a child!" Then he adds, "I have a grand idea of what we could do today."

"Yes you are, you're barely a year old."

"Don't change the subject!"

Anubis's eyes roll. "Very well, what exactly do you have in mind?"

Horus bends down with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a proud hook on the ends of his lips. "We're going to _Aaru_."

Anubis's expression must be one of complete and utter judgement because Horus straightens up with a defensive look.

"What?" He demands.

Anubis heaves himself up, sliding Horus down to his pelvis, and looms over Horus with a deadly glare.

"No."

"What! Why?!"

"Because nobody can just 'enter' _Aaru_. Especially gods without any business there."

Horus grins back at him, pointing right at Anubis's face. "Aha! That's where you come in! Surely you're allowed entry and exit yes?"

Anubis doesn't bother to entertain Horus's antics. He plants his hand on Horus's side before giving him a rough push. Horus tumbles off the bed, yet skilfully rolls back on all fours.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! We could walk around and greet the dead!" 

Anubis looks back at him unamused. He wishes to return to sleep; however, the banter has stirred his mind and body awake. He hated to admit it, but, it would a be futile attempt to delve back in. All he could do now was to try and make a compromise. Horus could be such a handful sometimes. Wasn't he supposed to have training today? How did he even get in?

"I'm issuing an ultimatum." He announced. "We are not going to _Aaru_. However, I am willing to take you to the banks of Lily Lake to sightsee. It's that or nothing, and I throw you out of my quarters myself."

Horus pouts on the floor. "But—"

"No buts."

"... fine."

Anubis lets out a subtle breath of relief. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet."

"We'll have it together then. Now go wait in the living room, I have to get dressed."

Anubis swings his legs off the bed to begin his morning routine. The scene of Horus flipping him with ease plays in his mind again, and again, and again. It's the prickly stinging of freezing water that cuts the clip short. He hovers over the water bowl, watching the droplets return to the bowl, each with its own ripple, one after another. 

Horus is... powerful for his age. His aptitude for combat was akin to that of a bird taking into the sky. Should they ever spar, Anubis would be defeated embarrassingly quick. It used to be a source of envy; His father was a warrior, and his son was expected to be one. Born sickly, growing scrawny and physically-inept, he quickly grew to be a disappointment. Such contempt from his father only grew when he often had to be confined in his bedroom. On top of his slow growth, his sickliness ailed him for decades. He's grown out of that phase, thankfully, and even gained some proficiency in magic thanks to Isis's tutelage. It wasn't quite the same as wielding a weapon, but he was passed that. 

As his limbs carry him through his routine, his mind drifts to recall when he stopped by the training grounds to observe Horus during his drills. Horus trains like a man preparing to face an army single-handedly; jabbing and piercing in all directions with his spear. His feet flashed against the ground like thunder and lightning, never still. When his spear snaps from the ferocity, he would toss it away and unsheathe his _khopesh_ in one fluid motion to continue the fight against imaginary enemies, switching his fighting style to suit the new weapon; hacking, slashing, and bashing. Anubis could see the enemies fall to the ground, one body after another.

Anubis wonders if he ever had the potential to fight like that; overcome the physical weakness he was born with and maybe gain the approval of his father and everyone around him. He somehow manages to fabricate a proud expression fixed on his father's face. It feels so fake. He can't recall a time when his father smiled at him that way. 

Both the image and the idea are quickly wiped from his head. Anubis clicks his tongue. 

'I guess I'm not over it.'

Once a _shendyt_ is snug around his waist, a decorated sash is added to speak of status. His _khat_ is left in its place since he's just taking Horus out for a while. He also forgoes any form of jewellery and makeup. 

When he exits his bedroom, he sees Horus playing with one of his jackals. It's quick to notice his presence and moves away from Horus's lap to heel. Anubis gives it a few head pats which it delightfully accepts.

Horus tilts his head over his shoulder. He frowns at Anubis, scrutinising his appearance. 

"Yes?" Anubis arched a brow.

"Nothing, I don't think I'll ever get used to you without your _khat_ on. Why do you keep hair?"

Anubis smoothes down a wayward lock. "I think it's more flattering on me than the alternative. Although, I do keep it cropped, any longer and it would be a nuisance."

"Isn't it hot?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that temperatures in the _duat_ are much more forgiving than the ones above."

As Anubis approaches the doors, a realisation dawns on him. Horus dashes to cover up the crime but it's too late. 

"Care to explain why the lock is broken?" 

"I let myself in...?"

__________

A couple of minutes later, both of them are seated on a sheltered balcony with platters of assorted loaves of bread and fruits. Anubis sips his beer, quietly watching Horus gobble up the last of his honeyed bread. As soon as the last shred disappears into his mouth, it's immediately flushed down by his own cup of beer. The drained cup is automatically refilled once it's set down on the table. Horus lets out a pleased hum before reaching to grab another honey-glazed loaf. He inhales a mouthful with relish, taking a sip of beer to help it chew easier. Anubis turns away and gazes out into the dark, empty sky. Horus notices the attention shift.

"Is it always so dark here?" Horus asks, the rim of his cup hovering close to his lips, no doubt having been emptied a second time. 

"Unfortunately so, however, there is one exception. When Lord Ra's barge comes to rest here, even for a moment, the sky flourishes into a graceful blend of blues and reds. It is a sight to behold." He plucks off a grape from the cluster he's been eating from and holds it up. "The sky becomes similar to this colour but brighter and richer." Warm. "Vibrant."

Horus moves the cup away from his lips. The still empty cup indicated his lost interest in drinking any further. He's leaning in now, attention piqued by the scene that's been painted. "When does he come to visit?"

"Around the fifteenth hour."

"Can we stay up together? I want to see the sky change!"

"You'll need to ask your parents."

Horus pouts at the reply. He pops a grape into his mouth with irritation written all over his features. 

"I don't need to ask them if you're involved." He mumbles.

"They trust me; however, while I have no qualms about you staying up, they—your mother in particular—might." 

"Tch."

Anubis laughs at his chagrin. He silences himself with another grape but allows his smile to remain. His mother would never allow him to stay up late. It was his father that would speak up for him. When he was in an amiable mood, of course, if he were not, he would sooner throw Anubis into his room for trying to reason with them. Looking back on it, it was ironic. His father, who encouraged outspokenness and defiance, punished protest—yet another bitter tale to add to his collection. Suddenly, the beer turns sour. 

"Are you okay?" Horus asks, noticing the way his lips curl in distaste.

Anubis waves it off. "I'm alright," he says, "just... remembered something. It's unimportant."

"Oh okay, so, what do you think of the new necklace my father got for my mother? You've seen it, right?"

They talk about trivial matters; this and that, then this again. Breakfast stretches until the platters are empty and the cups void of any drink after countless refills. At some point, Anubis ends up merely listening to whatever Horus has to say. At some point, Anubis is pouring through his childhood memories for a cheery scene to play, but all he digs up are the rather miserable ones (he has pleasant memories, but he can't seem to drudge them up, or they refuse to surface). At some point, Anubis stops processing whatever words were leaving Horus's lips. At some point, Horus stops talking. Anubis shoots him a questioning glance.

Horus asks, "are you afraid that I'll defeat your father?" 

The question visibly catches Anubis off guard. His mouth, which lingered on a stale smile, dips at the mention of his father. Was he afraid? What does he have to be afraid of? It's an audacious question, Anubis finds, but the genuinely inquisitive look on Horus says otherwise. Still, why would he be afraid of his father's defeat? His father has nothing to do with him now. He's passed that.

"Why would I be afraid?" He spits out.

When Horus's head jerks up, startled by the venom simmering in his reply, regret worms its way into his conscience instantly. 

"You have the title of Prince of Egypt, don't you? Won't you be upset if you lost it?" Horus's voice wavers and the regret reverberates even stronger in his head.

"You sound confident." Anubis tried to laugh, but all that comes out is an unsteady breath. Anubis had meant it to be a playful jab, a means to backpedal the mood, but it comes out _wrong_.

'Snide,' a voice within him whispers.

He averts his sight to avoid the fiery challenge that arises in Horus's golden eyes.

'Don't use that look on me; I didn't mean to sound that way.' The words are stuck in Anubis's throat. 

"I am."

A familiar visage manifests itself on Horus's features, which he wears when he faces Osiris's fighters' best during his training; self-assured and daring. He's sitting up straight now, fists clenched, with his vision still pinned on Anubis who is silently wishing that he would put away the look.

Horus was genuinely curious about how Anubis felt, even, dare he say, concerned. And Anubis allowed his insecurities to speak for him in the ugliest and most ungrateful way. He's always kept a level head, wrangling his emotions until they were unable to seep out of him. Now he was acting juvenile, allowing his insecurities to spill out over someone couldn't fully comprehend the situation, resulting in an escalation of tension between them. 

His cousin was only sincere in his feelings. It was phrased poorly, yes, but he was _only_ sincere. Anubis supposed it was only fair to open up even if the window was slight.

"…To answer your question, I'm not afraid. My father's defeat would do little to affect me." Anubis shakily exhales to control the timbre of his voice. "As for my status… I've never been royalty in the first place. I wasn't recognised. It's never bothered me."

'Liar.' The small voice rasped. 'Keep lying; see where it gets you. Liar. Liar.'

When he finally meets the young warrior's gaze, the voice fizzled silent as if burnt away by the smouldering of Horus's golden irises. Horus is _so_ young, too young to be involved in a mess that precedes him, too young to push his immature body to perform feats that ancient gods and seasoned mortals perform. And yet he does. 

'This is what a prince should be,' Set would have said, 'Everything you are not.' 

'Everything I am not...' Anubis repeats bitterly.

There's still shame bubbling inside him, but now envy threatens to overpower it.

He reminds himself that Horus doesn't understand, doesn't comprehend, and doesn't know about this foul side of him; It must stay that way. His cousin isn't involved in his personal issues and is underserving of being subjected to it. Anubis almost wanted to flee the scene, tell Horus that he wasn't feeling well and that he would take him to see Lily Lake another day. The urge to bolt wells from within him. 

But maybe he should stop running away from the messes he makes and face it head-on. At least his future self wouldn't hate him that much afterwards. Who knows, maybe his mood might improve, maybe those burdensome thoughts and voices would be repressed for a good while. He could take his cousin to Lily Lake, let him run around a bit, then take him back. Anubis will have all the time he wants to wallow in whatever mental cesspool he wanted afterwards. 

He took in a deep breath and stood up. Horus's tense posture is shocked into relaxation by Anubis's abrupt action. When he gestures for Horus to stand, the young god does but not without a confused glance. 

"We should head over to Lily Lake now." Is all he provides Horus before hastily walking off. He's relieved when Horus shrugs and goes along with it, jogging over to his side with an eager smile on his face. Being on the receiving end of a smile from a face sweet with youth makes the shame swirl harder in the pit of his stomach. He forces it to still. 

'You'll have your time,' he tells the darkness that lurks at the back of his mind, 'just stay silent for a little longer.'

__________ 

After Set killed Osiris, Osiris's soul travelled to the _duat_ where he witnessed souls being tormented and hunted by malicious gods, spirits, and animals. He couldn't bear to let this continue, so he thought to give them a new home; a paradise where they could live an untroubled and content life. When he was later revived as a half-dead god, he enlisted Anubis, who was only a teenager then, to create a proper afterlife. They found a landmass mostly surrounded by water and decided that it was the safest place to build their establishment. Construction began at once, with many minor gods and spirits that milled about in the area offering help. As the Hall of Truth and the House of Osiris were being constructed, Anubis was already drafting up plans for _Aaru_ , much to Osiris's delight. He proposed that a body of water be diverted between the Hall and _Aaru_ to serve as a source of familiarity for the dead souls. 

"It could be like our own Nile." He suggested. "I think it also allows us to strengthen the security of those living in _Aaru_."

So a lake was created. Osiris and Anubis immediately crossed over to examine the land beyond the lake in more detail, and much to their dismay, they found it a wasteland; there wasn't a semblance of life on it. While Anubis wasn't confident of whether they could grow anything because of how infertile the soil was, Osiris assured him that, in due time, it would flush with new life. So Anubis formed another group of construction workers to begin building a few houses to start. Osiris worked the land diligently, infusing it with magic and using the water from the newly formed lake to moisten the dead earth. Not long after, crops began to grow. Like Osiris predicted, it wasn't long before the land flushed with the most vibrant plant life and the richest of crops. The new lake became so filled with joy and delight with the richness of its new home that it sprouted the most beautiful blue lilies to complement its neighbour, hence earning the name 'Lake of Flowers' (or Lily Lake as it was colloquially called). 

Anubis leads Horus to a small garden in the east most side of the palace. Carved on the outer wall was a slab of stone big enough to be a doorway, yet small enough to remain inconspicuous. Unbeknownst to most, this stone slab was a door meant to allow convenient accessibility from the House of Osiris to _Aaru_. However, it was rarely ever used by anyone other than Anubis. He had made it a habit to lounge at the banks of Lily Lake when he needed to relax since the atmosphere in that area was rather pleasant and peaceful (not to say that the palace wasn't, it was just less stuffy he would admit). Despite existing in perpetual darkness, bright golden skies shine over _Aaru_ , imitating daytime. All the candles and floating lights around the complex weren't easy for mortals to get used to, and it became painfully evident when they came to Anubis inquiring 'when light would shine upon the land again.'

Again? There was never any light here in the first place unless the solar barque came by, which was only for an hour or so. 

Thankfully, with a few magic spells and a bit of help from Ra himself, light now shines over _Aaru_. It was artificial at most, there was no warmth from the phoney rays, but it did cast a wonderful glow over the region, and not being immersed in eternal darkness with fire as their only light source seemed satisfying enough for the souls. 

Anubis places his hand on the slab and speaks an opening spell. The inactive hieroglyphs that bordered the door revealed themselves with a brilliant glow, and the door vanishes. Immediately, the golden rays from _Aaru_ beam through the empty doorway and Anubis is forced to squint. 

"Wow," Horus said, "I've never seen your face so brightly illuminated before."

Anubis resisted the urge to flick the boy's forehead. 

He passes through the door and finds himself on a familiar grassy hill. Down its slope rested the lake's banks, but further beyond, underneath the direct rays of their artificial light source, was _Aaru_.

Fields of crops surrounding what was essentially a city. It was built in a spiral layout, with two-story limestone houses making up the bulk of the buildings. Aside from homes, there were avenues lined with markets and eateries that provided luxuries to the dead such as expensive jewellery or rare delicacies. Children and adults played their games in pockets of empty spaces away from bustling streets and neighbourhoods. Souls would cool off at numerous streams that ran throughout _Aaru_ or hunt the waterfowl that resided there. In the utmost centre of it all was the temple complex. Grand temples of multiple gods were built in organised formations and decorated with sheer banners.

Witnessing _Aaru_ from such a height, as well as all the tiny people moving about, never failed to cheer him up.

Anubis feels Horus slip through the doorway from behind him. A huge gasp is drawn out from his mouth. His mouth was opened so widely Anubis feared it would never close again. 

"Speechless?" He teased. 

All Horus could do was nod, forcing his mouth shut. Even with his gaze fixed upon _Aaru_ so intently, Anubis does not fail to notice the slow emergence of wings from Horus's shoulder blades. Immediately, he puts a hand on Horus to cut his train of thought.

He sends him a warning glance before leading him down the hill. 

Standing before the luminous water, whose hue was akin to that of lapis lazuli, was a sight of its own. Ghostly pale lilies rocked gently with the swaying of the water, its pigment glowing brightly through the light mist that hovered with them, making the blue tint of the lilies appear as some mystical apparition. It was eerily quiet and calm; not a single ripple broke the stillness of the surface.

Anubis bends down to pick up a tiny pebble from the ground, ensuring that Horus sees it. He holds it in his palm and commands it to rush over the lake and land on the other side. Curiously, Horus watches as the pebble begins to hover in Anubis's hand for a few seconds before zipping over the lake with such speed that Horus almost loses track of it. He sees it reach maybe halfway of half the lake before a tongue of water snaps up the pebble, immediately absorbing it back into the lake without so much of a disturbance to the water's surface.

He gulps. Hard.

"The lake is meant to guard against those who dare to cross it without permission. Any soul who tries to swim across will be swallowed into it and dissipate into nothing but bubbles," Anubis says.

"That includes gods." He adds, hoping to scare his cousin a little. 

Horus takes a step back away from the water nervously, and Anubis snorts at this.

He then directs Horus's attention to his far left. It's strenuous to see, but with Horus's keen eyesight, he's confident that Horus can pick out what he's pointing at. 

"There's a barge!" Horus exclaims after a moment of squinting. 

"Yes, that dark smudge crowded in front of the boat are souls who have passed judging."

"Why are there so many of them?"

"There is a man on the barge whose name is Hraf-Haf. Or as your father and I like to call him, the 'final challenge.'"

Horus frowns at this and Anubis takes the chance to continue.

"Hraf-Haf is extremely surly. He refuses to let any of the souls board the boat. Souls must face him with kindness and patience as he treats them horribly. If they do not, they will not be able to board, and if they try to swim across..." 

Horus shakes his head. "That's cruel of you two," He mutters.

Anubis couldn't help but laugh. He supposed it was, but it was entertaining and an excellent way to check out a mortal's real personality. 

Delight bubbles in Horus's chest when he sees Anubis laughing. It was a bit mean in nature, but his laugh was so lovely...

He quickly turns to his right to look for something to distract himself from Anubis's laugh (which he rarely ever hears) and spots a wooden shed quietly sitting near the water. It even had its own dock. He asks what the shed was doing there. 

Anubis stops laughing and composes himself with a cough to his fist. 

"That is Aken's home and workshop. He is the custodian of the boat that Hraf-Haf uses." 

"If it's his boat then why can't he tell Hraf-Haf ferry the souls across?"

"Aken doesn't get along with Hraf-Haf, and he's a bit of a narcoleptic."

"Narcoleptic…?"

"To put it simply, he is obsessed with sleep. His slumber is unending until Hraf-Haf needs him."

"Oh."

They walk along the banks, with Horus noticeably farther away from the water than Anubis was, and peek into the boathouse. Inside were boatbuilding tools neatly arranged around a workspace, and Aken sleeping on a reed mat away from said workspace with a striped cat curled up beside him.

The cat notices Anubis and meows, pawing at Aken's face for him to wake up. Aken lets out a few garbled noises before getting up, drool drawing a string of saliva from Aken's lips to the mat. 

"Lord Anubis, you need anything?" He drawls in both respect and annoyance.

"Not at all, this little one over here coerced me to take him to the Field of Reeds, but as you can see, I've managed a compromise."

The expression on Aken's face spoke volumes. He clearly didn't appreciate being woken up for something so trivial. 

Horus gapes at Anubis. "HEY, I didn't coerce you!"

"Of course you didn't, in your perspective, because you were doing the coercing."

Aken interrupts Horus's rebuttal with a drowsy 'hold up.' He asks, "who's the kid? Is he yours? Otherwise, you wouldn't be entertaining them, I think." 

"Absurd assumption, Aken, this is Lord Osiris's child, his name is Horus."

The custodian looks a bit more awake now and bows, head pressing against the mat. Anubis is surprised he even knows the proper courtesy. His eyes flick to Horus, who is standing there, unsure of how to react. It seems like he was in a bit of need for some guidance. 

"When someone bows to you, tell them to rise. They can only rise when you allow them to," Anubis says with a gentle nudge. 

"Uh, rise, Aken," Horus commands, obviously finding it strange on his tongue.

Aken rises and sits. The cat meows once more before climbing onto his lap.

"My lord, may I have permission to resume my rest?" Aken requests. Anubis is, again, surprised at his polite tone. 

Horus looks at Anubis who reassures him with a nod. Once Horus has verbally permitted him to do so, Aken immediately lies back down with the cat on his stomach.

They leave Aken to his rest and immediately spot an unknown silhouette in the distance, leaning over the water as though they were staring at something. Anubis walks ahead of Horus to inspect the stranger, and once he recognises who it was, he couldn't help but mentally groan with exasperation. 

"Who's that?" Horus exclaims much too loudly for Anubis's liking. He was already plotting their escape when Horus's question catches the attention of the person Anubis did not want any attention from. 

The figure rises and quickly moves over to them. His appearance becomes much more apparent now that he is right in front of them, and Anubis feels his eye twitch. 

Nefertem was the intruder's name. And he frequented the _duat_ for a very, very bothersome reason.

"Anubis!" Nefertem exclaims, "there you are. I went looking for you at the Hall of Judgement and the House, but everyone tells me that you've disappeared."

His irritation only seethes more furiously when he feels Horus rush to hide behind him. Anubis could practically feel the blush of his cheeks radiate hotly against his back. 

Some could argue that Nefertem was one of the most beautiful gods in existence. His facial features were delicate, plump lips and high cheekbones painted with rouge, long lashes further emphasised with kohl; Anubis almost couldn't believe that this was a man. He also wore a long wig braided with gold and lapis lazuli beads that framed his face in a flattering manner. As if the richness interwoven into his wig weren't enough, he also tied a beaded headband around his head. Much to Anubis's dismay, Nefertem wore sheer robes over his _shendyt_ showing off all the gold and jewellery that adorned his arms and neck; bracelets, bangles, amulets, wasn't it heavy? The gold girdle that hugged his waist looked weighty too. And as the god of perfume and sweet aromas, wherever he went, a lovely aromatic scent would follow him.

Anubis didn't hate Nefertem per se. The rather fetching god's personality wasn't bad; he just grew increasingly annoyed at the purpose of his visits. 

"Let's quickly get this over with," Anubis grumbled turning to the lake's edge. 

Nefertem sends him a pleased smile but becomes quickly distracted when he spots Horus trying to hide behind Anubis.

"Oooh, hello there, cute one!" Nefertem exclaims. He rushes around Anubis in an attempt to get a good view, but Horus pulls Anubis in front of him. Anubis is almost thrown off balance with Horus's immense strength as he stumbles in front of the flustered boy. 

"What's your name?"

Horus has piqued Nefertem's interest, and Anubis mentally clicks his tongue. Should Nefertem discover Horus's identity, the rest of the gods in Egypt were sure to find out. And Anubis was pretty sure that Isis intended to introduce him herself. 

"A-ah—uh—!" Horus stammers, and Anubis feels his cousin's face press harder into his back.

"Nefertem," Anubis scowls, "stop bothering the boy. You're making him uncomfortable."

"Hmm? And how could I be possibly doing that?"

'Maybe it's because you're trying to corner him like prey, without any regard for his personal space.'

Anubis pushes Horus behind him and glowers at the perfume god whose batting lashes attempt to feign innocence. Nefertem's irises were the same hue as the blue lilies in the lake, it was a strange and foreign eye colour, but Anubis understood that it only added to his allure. 

He growls. "If you want your lily crown then I suggest you mind your own business." 

At the mention of his purposes for coming down into this dreary realm, Nefertem huffs and takes a few steps back. Still, he waves at Horus with a playful wink. Horus sticks closely to Anubis, trying not to meet Nefertem's eyes.

"I haven't seen him around here," he whispers, "who is he?"

"A god from above. Don't bother with him."

"He smells nice..."

"He's supposed to."

Anubis dips his hand into the water and mutters under his breath, asking the lake to give him a few of its lilies. The lake only responds to gods with jurisdiction in the underworld, which was why Nefertem could not obtain the Lillies himself. So, of course, he turns to Anubis to collect them for him. Nefertem is rarely ever seen without his crown of blue lilies. Usually, he would gather them from the Nile banks, but when he later developed a preference for the lilies of Lily Lake, he would come down to the _duat_ to have his old, wilted crown replaced. 

Slowly, one by one, lilies begin to float towards him, still attached to their stems. He gingerly gathers them up.

"Thank you for your generosity, Lake of Flowers." He tells the lake. It was important to thank the source of blessing after all. "Especially every time this nuisance comes demanding your flowers." He mutters sourly. 

He stands back up to face Nefertem who eagerly takes the flowers from Anubis's tender hold. Once in Nefertem's hands, the lilies weave themselves into a crown, their glow fainter due to being taken away from their life source. Nefertem sets it atop his brow and makes a show of fixing his wig, enjoying the feeling of having his signature crown back on its respective place.

"You have your crown, now please leave," Anubis says as politely as possible.

Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, Nefertem lets out a deep sigh. 

"It wouldn't do any harm to be more hospitable, would it?" He tilts his head to Horus whose form is still hidden behind Anubis, "don't you think so?"

"The last time you came for fresh lilies, you disrupted a soul's judging and insisted that I get you the flowers." Anubis shoots back, denying Horus the opportunity to respond. "You're fortunate that today is not only an off-day for me, but Lord Osiris has insurmountable tolerance for your antics." 

"Yes yes, Lord Osiris's patience is ever-flowing. I must say, berating a guest is not how you converse pleasantly, Anubis."

He wants to tell Nefertem that he was more of a nuisance than a guest but decides to entertain the perfume god a little, maybe that would convince him to finally leave. Anubis could tell that Horus was getting anxious behind him, and it would be best if they returned to the House; Isis would be looking for him by now. 

"Very well then, tell me, how is Maahes? Is he still guarding the southeastern border?"

At the mention of his unruly younger brother, Nefertem wrinkles his nose. He and Maahes were sons of Ptah, a creator god known for sculpting and architecture. The brothers were as different as can be. As a result, they were inclined to stay far apart from each other.

"Maahes? Oh, you know… still the same... Loud and uncouth as always. Your father reassigned him to the fort along the northeast, but it's all desert there. A bad decision on your father's part." He says with distaste. "My brother complains to me about how boring it is there, nothing to do."

Nefertem was looking at Anubis as though he, too, rose from the same dirty puddle that Set and Maahes had. It was unclear of whether he meant to or not, but Anubis didn't bring it up.

"Anyways, I suppose I'll leave you alone now, _so_ sorry to bother you." Nefertem's lips curved into a sickeningly saccharine smile. "Goodbye, cute one! May our paths cross again!" 

With a wave of his hand, his form disappears with a whirl of light, leaving only the scent of blue lilies behind him. 

__________

As expected, Isis is waiting for them at the garden, seated gracefully on a wicker stool reading a papyrus scroll. Once she spots Horus, she stands and rolls up the scroll, tying a straw cord around it to keep it secure.

Horus immediately shouts, "I was with Anubis!" As if mentioning his older cousin would appease his mother. Horus skipped out of training today (he made sure to tell his father, knowing he would let him), but he neglected to inform his mother. She didn't seem glad at the decision from the stony expression on her face.

"Good, it would worry me if you had run off on your own without anyone to watch over you," Isis said, "however, that does not absolve you of your ignorant decision to notify me beforehand."

She gives Anubis a nod before telling Horus to go wash up for dinner. Horus obediently steps away from Anubis's side and rushes off. Isis approaches Anubis with a shake of her head. 

"That boy... he didn't even thank you for taking him out." She sighs disapprovingly. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble. I know he must have gone to wake you up as soon as he got himself ready; he seems very fond of you."

Anubis shrugs. "Perhaps. It could also be because there is no one else who is willing to entertain him. Or is entertaining enough for him. I can't say I'm a prime candidate, though."

Isis laughs. "No monsters to fight, not having to flee from location to location, I'm sure he feels strangely restless. He's probably looking for some kind of adventure."

"There is no adventure here unless he wishes to venture further into the _duat_."

"And he shall not. He will get one soon, once we return to Egypt."

Anubis had always known that Isis and Horus were staying here temporarily, just before they challenge Set. He asks, "When do you plan on leaving?"

"A week from now? I am still waiting for an opportune moment when Set's authority would be at its weakest." Isis confessed. "We need his reign to be at its lowest point to gain influence over the populace, we need the support."

She looks Anubis dead in the eye, considering something. He's almost afraid to ask what she needed. 

"Anubis, how long has it been since you've contacted your father?" 

Ah, he was afraid she would ask that of him. He hasn't spoken to his father in... decades. Has it really been that long?"

"I'm not sure. But I doubt he would be glad to see me either way." He replies hesitantly.

Isis clasps his shoulder. "Set is cruel to even you and your mother, but the two of you are the only ones he considers his flesh and blood." Her irises burn in a frighteningly similar way to Horus's. "Contact your father, see how he's doing."

"With all due respect, Aunty, I do not wish to talk with him," Anubis says, uncomfortably rubbing his arm. 

Isis pauses before releasing his shoulder and folding her hands in front of her. "That is alright, it is still up to you. But do think it through, nephew, we could use your help. " 

She turns away and begins to walk back to the main hall. She stops, however, to mention one last thing.

" _Horus_ could use your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this chapter was almost torturous. A few hiccups here and there, and it's enough to bother me. 
> 
> Khopesh - a sword with a curved blade. Very cool. 
> 
> 1\. The Ancient Egyptians had clocks, shadow clocks to be specific, and they were surprisingly accurate. They were basically sundials.  
> 2\. Egyptian beds are a mystery to be honest. We know they were made from a range of materials like ivory or palm reeds, but we aren't sure if they had sheets or anything. Their beds were similar to ours, four legs and a headboard. Very simple.  
> 3\. The Ancient Egyptians used a strange headrest instead of a soft pillow that propped their head up, made from a variety of materials like stone and wood. It's almost hard to believe they used stuff like that. Ancient China also had headrests similar to those in Egypt, but they look much more comfortable.  
> 4\. The Ancient Egyptians bathed a lot. Granted 'bathing' simply meant washing the feet, hands, and face.  
> 5\. Ancient Egypt had a rather strict social class divisions. It wasn't exactly encouraged to change profession or anything since apparently there was a natural order that had to be kept. So a carpenter's son would become a carpenter, a priestess's daughter would become a priestess. Which is why Anubis was expected to be a warrior like his father.  
> 6\. Both men and women used makeup in Ancient Egypt. They had eyeshadow, lipstick, and whatnot. They also painted their nails with henna. Although some cosmetics were limited to the richer populace.  
> 7\. Yes, Ancient Egyptians had locks. Try searching it up. It's mechanic is very similar to ours.  
> 8\. Purple is... a colour the Egyptians had no name for? At least, not that I could find. Grapes were painted blue, and honestly, my story has a really screwed up time period setting. Stuff from all over the different periods are found here, so I honestly can't say that 'during this time they had no purple.' But just be aware that the Egyptians did trade with Phoenicia, so they might have that Tyrian dye available to them.  
> 9\. We don't have details on like... how the afterlife came to be. It was just there I suppose. From the myths, all we know is that Osiris god revived and became lord of the underworld. Anubis is actually much older than Osiris, and was the original head god of the underworld until Osiris rose in popularity (probably due to his connection to life) and surplanted him. Anubis is really really old.  
> 10\. Who knows what Aaru actually looks like? Let's be honest, all we know is that everyone's belongings and possessions would be there, it's a flourishing land where the crops are amazing, yadda yadda, I made it a city.  
> 11\. The Lake of Flowers was new information to me. We don't have much detail on it, but it had to be lake filled with flowers. I chose the blue Egyptian Lotus because that flower has a lot of significance in religion and art. We don't know what the lake was for though, chances are, it didn't dissipate souls or anything ahahaha.  
> 12\. When I found out about Hraf-Haf and Aken, I almost died. In the best way.  
> 13\. Nefertem originated from like.. the first blue lotus that sprouted at the beginning of creation, representing the first sunlight and sweet smell. Something like that. So his origins are very ancient, but he was later moved down the seniority of gods to be Ptah's son. He has titles like 'He who is beautiful,' which is explicitly pointed out. So he had to be pretty I guess. The blue Egyptian water-lilly is his symbol, and is shown above his head in paintings.  
> 14\. Ptah has two sons, Nefertem and Maahes who was a lion war god. His wife is unclear, apparently being either Bast or Sekhmet. For me, I could interpret it as Bast being Nefertem's mother while Sekhmet is Maahes, but since it's unclear, the mother won't be mentioned.  
> 15\. The duat has monsters, yes. The duat is filled with a bunch of things. Like I said, it seemed more like a realm.


	5. First Sunset - Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short moments between Anubis and Horus before they eventually part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY 2021 EVERYONE! 2020 was a tough year, and things aren't going to change immediately or die down quickly, but I hope everyone continues to stay home and stay safe! By doing so you keep other people safe as well! The fact that we made it through the year while others didn't is significant! Please continue to act responsibly and wear a mask when you leave the house!
> 
> My writing style has become so inconsistent, and this story has also become so inconsistent. Continuity? Never heard of it. If you can't tell, I'm practically laying tracks as the train goes HAHAHAHA.
> 
> I've only drafted a rough timeline as I wrote this chapter, I should've done so a long time ago :') I may go back and look for inconsistencies to fix. I refuse to use proper dates lmao.

Part Two of the First Sunset

The decision of whether to contact his father burned in his mind for days onward since Isis had brought it up. He was wary of his father, unsure how he will react to the sudden call of a son who had long abandoned him. Anubis was his father's son, that will not change. If his mother hadn't stolen him from his bed and fled the palace, he would have been by his father's side dutifully as a son should be. Despite all the resentment he holds for that once-familiar stranger, he could not bear to forget the genuine tenderness that he showed at times. Anubis does not wish to stand against Set; he was comfortable watching from the sidelines, seeing how events unfold without his involvement. Yet, the whispers of prayers cried out in his temples threaten to mute everything in his immediate surroundings. 

_'Save us, please! You are his child!'_

_'My lord... my husband has died from the Pharaoh's injustice, I pray that his death will be the last of such misfortune.'_

_'The gods have turned on us... have you as well?'_

The pleas from the sons and daughters of those who have never loved him, caused him the most sorrow. Anubis was a god, but he was also their prince. He wished he could do something for them, but he has already tried. He knew better than most that his father would never listen to his counsel. Knowing his father, he was aware of the path he had dragged Egypt down; a path of richness and luxury, pain and neglect. Anubis listened to his jackals' whine and whimper about how his father continues to favour foreigners over his own people, how the Egyptians have continued to suffer from such favouritism. 

When he was formally introduced to Horus, he immediately understood how it wouldn't be his place to liberate Egypt. Isis had made it clear that her son would be the one to bring Egypt to a new era of exuberance. And it stung. All those days cooped up in the palace library studying numerous subjects that would equip himself to govern after his father seemed to fade away as if he had merely dreamt them up, as if his efforts had never mattered in the first place. For a while, he avoided Horus; seeing him rubbed his wound raw. However, Anubis's elusion of his cousin did nothing to hinder the boy from seeking him out, as if a formal tour around the House of Osiris had established them as friends. Horus was persistent, and eventually, Anubis caved. 

"Why do you keep following me?" He had asked warily. Even during his duties in the Hall of Truth, Horus could be seen sitting behind a pillar, waiting, not for Osiris, but for Anubis. 

"I want to."

He didn't reply, nor did he ask about his intentions again after that. 

Spending time with Horus became much more bearable, and while the sore spot has not vanished, the innocent way Horus spoke about his wishes and aspirations soothed it. He could never tire of the way the younger god's golden irises sparkled and danced, as if a new sun was dawning in them. Just seeing his smile warmed his heart.

Horus made it difficult to remain neutral in this feud.

But he would stand by his decision. Set was his father, and Anubis was his father's son, respect was mandatory. He would continue to stand on the sidelines, no matter how badly he wished to hold out his hand for Horus. 

He only hopes that when he does, Horus will take it. 

__________

The _duat_ was a strange place. A mystery to mortals and even to gods. It laid beneath the earth away from everything life would find familiar. The landscape was ever-shifting, nobody could quite map it out, and yet, different entities have made it their home (on what stable grounds they could find). Beasts formed from wisps of chaos seeped through the _duat_ 's deepest realms, amalgamations of different existing creatures that walked on earth. Ammit was one; with her crocodile snout, lion's mane, and mismatched legs, she was an affront to order and balance (she was lovable nonetheless). Spirits, both malevolent and benevolent, also resided in the murk. Their figures varied but were mostly human. Formed from the essence of magic, they were easily controlled and manipulated. It wasn't strange for a magician to have a few under their disposal.

Then, there were deities.

Deities were immortal and looked over or represented certain aspects of reality; Anubis presided over the departed, Ma'at was justice and balance incarnate, and Ra was the essence of the sun itself. Osiris was not the first god to dwell in the _duat_ , there existed gods who manifested from nothingness, names unknown. Majority of the known gods still resided above, and only a few descended into the underworld; it was an unfamiliar world to them, one they had no control over. Only chthonic gods such as Osiris and Anubis had power in this realm. 

Once in a while, Anubis would be tasked with surveying neighbouring regions of the _duat_. The Waterway of Osiris was situated in the shallows, safely away from more chaotic areas. It would take a few days, maybe a week, to finish his inspection. During then, he would pay some gods a friendly visit, catch up and assess their conditions, then he would sail back home whilst writing a report to hand to Osiris.

Upon his return, he would be welcomed by servants, ready to carry his baggage and deliver his documents, allowing him to retire to his room directly. However, this time only a lone figure stood at the docks, waving their arm as his boat was steered closer. 

Anubis hasn't even disembarked when Horus tackles him, deceptively skinny arms flying around his waist to pull him into a tight embrace. He's pulled flushed against the younger god whose face presses against his midsection, whose sharp inhales ignite a fire in his stomach that Anubis hastily extinguishes by sucking in his stomach, desperate to put distance between them. 

Horus tilts his head up, cheeks reddened and lips spread in a wide grin, eyes shining in the way that makes the warmth in Anubis's chest bloom. 

"I missed you."

__________

They're together on the roof of the palace, leaning on the edge, waiting. 

It's the fifteenth hour, and it should come any time now. 

Once the sky begins to light up, they both know it's arrived; the Mesektet, the evening barge. Its myriad of colours that shimmered like gemstones during the day now dimly coat the boat, the barge itself looks dead, like the god it housed within its cabin. It's a stark contrast to the jubilance of the sky above them, now splashed with hues of red and blue.

Horus cannot see who leaves the barge and who they meet at the pier (most probably his parents), but he does get a glimpse of a woman before she is hidden out of sight once again. "Who is she?" He asks. Her hair is as dark as night, and her dress is white like the stars that decorate it. 

"M'k-neb-set. There is a respective deity equipped to handle passage throughout each kingdom of night, and M'k-neb-set is the goddess of the third hour."

Anubis has met her, and only her. Her other siblings appear in hours unassociated with the House of Osiris, but he hears that they are all as pleasant as her. 

His cousin hums in reply and turns his attention back to the sky, enjoying the view he has often missed as he laid in bed asleep. Anubis keeps his eyes trained on the barge, looking but not seeing; his mind ponders about a statement Isis had made in private. "Do not let Horus near the barge," she said, "keep him occupied until it leaves, hold him back if he so rashly attempts to get closer." And he worries about what she may be hiding. 

His vision shifts to Horus, studying the way he smiles at the sky, face full of cheer despite the ungodly time. 

Hopefully she isn't hiding too much from him. 

"This is amazing, but it cannot compare to the sky from above," Horus says, mouth dipping downwards as he recalls the heavens he hasn't seen for quite some time now.

When he sees the smile on his cousin's expression disappear, Anubis decides that he wants Horus to continue smiling the way he does. He reaches out to brush the sidelock that hangs at the side of his head, feeling the dark knots of the braid. 

"That is true, it cannot."

Horus silently wishes Anubis was referring to something else ~~himself perhaps~~ but settles for the gentle touch of the older god's hand.

__________

The Hall is on recess to discuss the latest soul. One 'Wati' who had stolen many times in his life, before finally being killed. He was a poor man and could not afford medicine or healing. It's not an unusual case, but he's been more pious and kind to those around him than others who committed the same crimes. Osiris had insisted that this man's intentions were pure of heart, and was merely desperate to care for his family. However, Nosey One firmly asserts that he should have gone a different way of doing so. 

This butting of heads occurred plenty of times between Osiris, a lover of mortals, and judges, who had no such love. 

While waiting with Wati outside of the Hall (souls were not allowed to hear any deliberation), Anubis looks over the long string of souls waiting their turn. All waiting patiently, all nervous and dreading their time. 

Then he faces Wati; a timid man, it is a wonder how he could steal so many times being so weak-kneed. 

"I-it is my unbelievable joy to see you w-well my, lord."

Anubis blinks in surprise at Wati who jumps and quivers in his place. He's stuttering out apologies now, wringing his hands. Anubis hadn't meant to be intimidating but hearing him attempt to converse was unexpected. 

"Yes, I have been well for a long time now," Anubis replies, hoping to ease the jumpy soul. There wasn't anything wrong with trying to start a conversation, they might as well while they wait.

"Of course!" Wati yelps at the sound of his response. "I apologise for—for thinking otherwise!"

"Why would you think otherwise?"

Wati stiffly plants his hands at his side and bows his head. "My ancestors have long served the palace, and stories of their service have been passed down to us. One tale was how my sixth grandmother tended to your young self as you ailed in bed."

He couldn't really remember the names of all the maids and nurses who had watched over him as a child, there were times where he frequently faded in and out of consciousness. He had gotten used to waking up with another maid rather than the one that had been with him before, all their faces were blurs. 

Anubis frowns. "Your ancestors served the palace? Then why are you a brick-layer far from the capital?" 

Wati only smiles sadly. "It was my father's misfortune to be... relinquished from his duties, and us with him. I was only a little boy then."

There was no time for words of comfort, Anubis hears them being summoned and could only put his hand on Wati's shoulder as consolation to guide him back into the Hall.

"Did he make it?" 

Anubis hums as he writes the final sentence for Wati's profile to store in the Hall of Truth's archives. "Double Lion added onto Nosey One's objection, but when his heart was weighed, it showed that his intentions were in the right place despite all he did."

Horus beams and rolls onto his stomach. "That's good! I'm glad for him."

"I am as well. Now please sit properly, the floor is cold, you may get a stomachache."

__________

Anubis enjoys napping near the Lake of Flowers. The air around the lake had a soothing quality to it that numbs his mind. He would always wake up feeling refreshed, cushioned by grass beneath him. Winds blow over him, and it feels like he's submerged under waves, being swayed into sleep.

Horus insisted that they stay a considerable distance away from the lake, so they're much farther up the hill than where Anubis usually sleeps. He lazily wonders if he's scared his little cousin a bit too much.

The young god doesn't seem affected by the somnolent atmosphere, instead resting on his arms as he entertains himself by touching and tugging Anubis's hair. It reminded him of how jackal pups would nip and pull on their sibling's ears. Puppies were adorable. Adult dogs are always sacrificed to him though, so he never gets to actually have one. Maybe he should pick one up the next time he surfaces, whenever that is.

He's about to finally give in to the lulling ambience when Horus momentarily halts his descent. "What will you do when I become pharaoh?" 

If Horus becomes Pharaoh?

"The same thing I always do." His answer tumbles out of his mouth a bit impatiently.

Anubis thinks that he's free to ease himself into slumber when Horus asks another question. "What if I asked you to stay with me in Egypt?" It's a nonsensical query. Anubis belonged here in the _duat_ , why would he return to the world above? Sleep is just within his grasp, and he doesn't hesitate to take it as soon as he replies Horus with a half-hearted shrug.

When Horus doesn't hear an answer, he sits up to properly look down at his older cousin's sleeping face. He's frustrated that he didn't get a response (that shrug was _not_ an answer). Now, he's left here by himself as the older god dozes off. He reaches for Anubis's hair again, running his hands through it to feel it in between his fingers. It's much too cropped to satisfy him in one run, so he does it once more.

His hand drifts lower to the side of his cousin's head, lightly brushing underneath his cousin's closed eyes with his thumb.

Anubis's eye colour wasn't unique like his, they were as dark as the fertile soil from the Nile; the same as everyone else's, at least, of those whom he's seen. But Anubis's eyes are warm and delightful in a special way. Horus knows better than anyone how different it looks when the light hits it. 

And his skin. It's so much lighter than his. His is naturally dark, bronzed underneath the sun, while Anubis's complexion is that of unbaked clay. Horus has never seen anyone with as light a skin tone as Anubis. 

Anubis also had distinct soft and gentle features that he had obviously inherited from Aunt Nephthys. The sharp jaw and thin nose must come from... his father. He wonders just how similar they looked; deep down, the idea of any resemblance between them made him uncomfortable. He's only heard horrible things about his uncle, and from past indirect run-ins, he's inclined to believe them. Anubis was mean at times, but never outrightly cruel.

He tugs at the corners of Anubis's lips, careful not to wake him up. He's always thought that his smile was nice to look at. The first smile he had thrown at him was a smile he would never forget; so full of tenderness and kindness. After that, he never smiled that way again. It was always some kind of smile of tolerance or amusement (like his laughs). It's a pretty smile, nonetheless. 

He looks over Anubis's face as a whole, taking in his appearance. 

Anubis is... alluring to look at. 

Horus feels his heart throb a bit harder. 

__________

"You cannot be so lenient!"

"It is wrong to keep him, he doesn't belong here."

"But he has committed crimes in this land! He must be punished by our laws!"

Anubis crosses his arms and lets out a sigh. Their everyday stream of trails have been interrupted by an interesting case today, a foreigner has died in Egypt. On normal circumstances, their soul would naturally return to their homeland and to their respective underworld, but for some reason, he has winded up here instead.

Anubis and Accuser have left the Hall of Truth to further consider the issue as the judging of locals continues, however, they are on opposing opinions of what should be done.

The soul in question was a Cretan, a merchant who had a bit too much to drink becoming overtly rambunctious in the process. What has he done? Bumbled into a temple and desecrated a statue, specifically, one of Anubis's. There would be sculptures of jackals at his temples, guarding the inner courtyard, and now one of them has a broken snout. The Cretan was killed shortly after when he fought back against a patrolling guard. 

"Accuser, please, it was an accident. Let him be returned to his own land and gods." Anubis insisted.

"Then how do you explain the insulting moniker he's been shouting? 'Barker,' how impudent!" Accuser fumed harder. "Are you not insulted?!"

He tries not to groan at the judge's stubbornness. "They see the union of men and nature to be primitive and outlandish. Our cultures are different, let it be."

"Bah! I say we involve Serpent Who Brings and Gives!"

He isn't sure how to convince the judge otherwise. If the soul was to be judged on their laws and terms, it would be an unfair trial. The Cretan's body isn't even mummified, it was wrapped in a burial cloth and buried. Sailors were a superstitious breed. Carrying a corpse on their ships spelt trouble, like welcoming a curse to journey with them. Those who died in strange and foreign lands stayed there. 

They've communicated with the Greek underworld once, to arrange a ferry for a similar situation. However, unlike this Cretan, the soul (they had died in an accident) was respectful and cordial while he was in Egypt, thus being sent off without a hitch. Anubis was bent on repeating the same process, it would take a while, but it was better than judging a foreigner on different customs. 

"No, we are sending him back," Anubis growls, "I do not like exercising my authority in this way, Accuser, but if you insist on proceeding with your way, I will shut it down."

Accuser squirmed under his glare before bowing and apologising. "Understood, my lord, we will arrange for a communication line to be opened." 

"Good, now go."

He hasn't even realised that his jaw was clenched until he hears Horus call his name. His cousin is running over to him, hair unbraided and dishevelled. 

"I'm leaving tomorrow!" Horus cries, "you must talk with my mother!"

What?

"Slow down," Anubis said, reaching out to comb the tangles in Horus's hair. It was just one concern after another this morning. "Is it so urgent? You haven't even fixed your hair." 

Unexpectedly, Horus slaps his hand away. "It is!" He yells. "It's too soon and too sudden! She's going to drill me on our final preparations today! You need to talk to her!"

It takes a few seconds for it to really hit him. Isis and Horus were leaving, Egypt was going to ripple with the most unrest it's had under his father's rule. It's been a century since Osiris was killed, now, Set was going to be confronted for his crime. What can Anubis do but let events take their place?

"What do you want me to achieve from talking with her?" Anubis asks, "what is it that you want?"

The child god lets out an aggravated shout. "I don't want to leave tomorrow!"

"Then when do you want to go?"

The frustration unfurls from Horus's expression, replaced with confusion. "When I—?"

"Horus! There you are!" 

Isis storms over to them. She wears her sheer shawl and linen dress, but her wig does not frame her face as it usually does, and she wears no makeup. It seems that she, too, is in a rush. The mother takes her son by his shoulder, gripping it tightly—a warning.

"My apologies for this boy." Isis clicks her tongue. "He was supposed to report to me as soon as he's prepared himself. He's come to you instead."

Anubis shakes his head. "It's alright." 

Isis smiles at Anubis before steering Horus back to the direction of the palace. He could hear her admonish her son as they went. "You haven't even broken fast yet, and you cannot keep occupying Anubis's time. Now let's go, alright?"

Horus steals a glance at him, eyes full of dejection. As if it was any comfort, the older god gives him a small wave. 

Anubis feels the vexation clog up his throat. He wanted to help, alleviate whatever was burdening Horus. But things are now in motion. This is where Anubis steps back and spectates. He can't insert himself into the picture any further. Anubis genuinely enjoyed spending time with his cousin, as a god, familial relationships were far from straightforward; what they had between them was precious. 

There was one more thing that bothered him. Horus seemed so taken aback when he was asked when he wanted to leave if not tomorrow. It wasn't like Horus to waver in that way, unsure and conflicted. Could it be that... Horus did not want to leave? At all? It was a strange notion. The boy had desires, dreams he wishes to see fulfilled. He could not see them through if he never left the _duat_. What about avenging his father? That is something he talks about, as well.

Where was the burning light in his eyes?

He wonders if he's done too much, despite not doing anything at all. 

__________

The farewell was... solemn. 

Everyone seemed to understand what was being commenced with this send-off. The way Osiris hugged his son tightly as though it would be the last time he did, the way that his aunt and uncle held each other, and the way his mother gripped her sister's hands. It was all very sombre. Nobody knew what will transpire from this point on; uncertainty was unnerving, it made one's resolve falter.

But his cousin and aunt couldn't afford to hesitate now.

Isis put her everything into this venture, including her son. The four months they spent as a functioning family, as strangely domestic as it was, was not enough for her. Only seeing his father deposed and gone can quench her thirst for revenge. Her husband's murder rendered her into a widow and a fugitive, shunned by her own people and hunted down by her own brother. The fury that emerged from being disgraced has set forth a new drive to see her son glorified. She wanted to bask in that glory as his mother and the woman who set him on the throne.

Horus was the product of harsh ambition. A god whose being was meant to avenge his father and take his uncle's place as the rightful ruler. He was already thirteen years of age, despite only existing for one. His physical prowess, meticulously tailored by Isis, has far surpassed those of gods older than him. Growing up in the marshes of the Nile delta, he is a stranger to the nature of his birthright. In addition, naivety has bred his own ambitions to see Egypt prosperous, see the people joyful, and see an end to the suffering. He wanted to continue his father's legacy of goodness.

Facing Horus now, he didn't look unconfident like he did yesterday. A moment of weakness it may have been, but it was a moment of weakness nonetheless. Anubis understood the burden of such a responsibility; however, the title of 'fated saviour' was a heavier one than 'prince.' And it was a title Horus has carried ever since he's been conceived. Perhaps it was nothing new to him, but Anubis worries about the cracks that may begin to show themselves in the future. 

If he holds out his hand then, will Horus still take it?

He isn't sure. But that would be left for then and not now. 

"I hope you'll come to see me if you can," Horus mumbles, "I'm going to miss you."

Anubis cups his cheeks, gently brushing away the beads of tears that have long started to form. "I as well. I hate to say it, but I cannot promise you anything. Do know that if I can, I will."

"Do you have anything that I can take with me?" His cousin murmurs under his breath, "a piece of you I can hold on to."

There is only one article he can spare: His gold collar and its pair, a gilded strip knotted loosely around his neck. A piece of jewellery rarely ever donned out of special occasions. He didn't want to give it up. Should he? 

"I do not." He whispers back, sorry for his selfishness. 

Horus nods, and he pulls away from him, moving to join his mother at the barge. 

Nephthys stands at Anubis's side and grips his hand tightly in hers—reassurance, they will make it through. 'And what of my father, your husband?' He wanted to ask her; it was one or another, they both knew. 

Osiris untethers the barge, and it's caught with the currents, swept away swiftly. 

He meets Horus's eyes again and recalls how young the boy is. The foundation for his growth is unsteady, unreliable. The cracks, he tells—urges—himself, don't desert him now.

In the beginning, he had restrained his curiosity to avoid meeting the babe, now he allows his worry and endearment to guide his actions. Unlatching his collar, he runs to the farthest corner of the pier. Anubis hurls his collar as far as he could.

"Horus!"

His cousin snaps around just in time to catch a glimpse of it and dive. The force of his lunge rocks the boat violently, and Anubis fears that they will capsize. He sees Horus grab onto the back prow to fling himself forward, scooping up the collar just before it hits the black murk. Two great wings sprout from his back, beating once to throw the boat back into balance. 

Relief washes over his body once Horus holds up the collar. Its lustre glinting in the darkness as the barge and its passengers are engulfed.

Whether they will reunite or not in the future is uncertain, but Anubis understands that if they do, then Horus has been victorious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can ya'll believe Anubis is actually centuries years old? To be honest, I can't remember if I indirectly mentioned his age or not. I read back and it didn't seem like it. I also can't believe it took five chapters to describe Anubis proper. 
> 
> Am I writing filler? Well, yes, but also no.
> 
> Andddd, if you have noticed, we're slowly easing in and out of Horus's point of view instead of just Anubis. Hmmmm, I wonder why ;)
> 
> ALSO I HAVE TO ASK, WHO ARE YOU GUYS SHIPPING ANUBIS AND HORUS TOGETHER HUH???? THIS IS SUCH A WEIRD SHIP, AND OUT OF NOWHERE TOO. For me, it's like... just a random idea. Tbh, it could've been tagged 'Horus & Anubis' but I decided why not just... put the / in there.  
> I am genuinely curious as to how you guys even found this fic, comment below!
> 
> 1\. Respect for one's parents was taken very seriously in Egypt. It was the oldest son's responsibility to care for his parents until their death and organise a proper burial for them. It was also the oldest son who inherited his father's position. This was mentioned in the previous chapter—Ancient Egypt, they had a social hierarchy that wasn't rigid per se, but they believed that everything must be kept in order, so a carpenter's son would become a carpenter himself. Of course, one of the biggest reasons was because a father taught his sons his craft.  
> 2\. Ancient Egypt was involved in a lot of trade even during the Old Kingdom.  
> 3\. These 'beasts' in the duat were considered daemons of sorts. But they aren't necessarily the Christian depiction of a demon. This is the same for spirits.  
> 4 & 5\. The topic of magic and deities is complicated, and it will probably be more explicitly explained when the time comes. But I have to remind myself countless of times that this is interpretational fiction, as accurate as I want it to be. So, please, if you're curious to know more, it's only a Google search away.  
> 6\. The Mesektet is the evening counterpart to the Mandjet, the Boat of Millions of Years which was ridden by Ra during the day.  
> 7\. Every hour of the night has a god/goddess (sometimes both) to ensure passage through the duat because there were gates guarded by creatures who prevented entry. These deities would know the secret names of the guardians to allow them passage. Sometimes books of the dead (funerary texts the dead carry with them as a guide) will mention these names as an instruction manual of how to get themselves past the gates in order to reach the Hall of Truth.  
> 8\. The sidelock of youth is usually worn at the right side of the head, and is depicted braided and curled at the end (idk if I mentioned that or not).  
> 9\. 'Wati' (pronounced 'What-hi' if I remember correctly) means rebel if my sources isn't wrong.  
> 10\. Nosey One, Double Lion, Accuser, and Serpent who Brings and Gives are all judges. Part of the Assessors of Maat (the 42 judges).  
> Nosey One - stealing.  
> Double Lion - prolonging offerings.  
> Accuser - damaging a god's image.  
> Serpent who Brings and Gives - blasphemy.  
> 11\. As sad as it is, the lifespan of peasant classes were not very long. Apparently, males had a life expectancy of thirty-three years while females had twenty-nine. In upper classes, males had sixties to seventies (sometimes even eighties and nineties) while females had lesser since they had to bear many children.  
> 12\. Sadly, yes, as contradicting as it sounds, dogs and cats were sacrificed. It's a strange idea since the Ancient Egyptians respected these animals a lot, and killing one's or another's pet was considered a capital crime.  
> 13\. Crete played a huge part in Mediterranean trade as they were an in-between stop from Greece to Egypt.  
> 14\. Temples are a huge topic on their own, but basically there are two sections, the courtyard, and an inner sanctuary where the statue of the god was kept. It really depends on how big the temples was.  
> 15\. The Greeks had a rude moniker for Anubis which was 'Barker' (he was often called that mockingly).  
> 16\. Isis was really famous for being a mourner for her husband, in which she expressed her sorrow and fury. Usually Nephthys joins her in mourning. It's a thing.  
> 18\. In the story of Isis and the Seven Scorpions, Isis had to disguise herself as a mortal to hide from Set. It's a short story you can watch on TED-Ed if the actual script sounds boring.  
> 19\. The gold collar and gilded knotted slip is actually a reference to the statue of Anubis in the form of a jackal that was found in Tutankhamen's tomb. It's rather lovely, go check it out. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! This took a bit of work, but next chapter we're back on the main story!


	6. Second Night - Chapter I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week after Horus's coronation is a holiday, but problems crop up.
> 
> Warning: mentions of violence, blood, and suicidal/triggering thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyy! I'm so glad for you guys' comments! It makes me happy to hear your thoughts! 
> 
> As I was writing this, I was thinking 'damn, I'm getting this done real fast,' then I look and it's been like two weeks HAHAHA.

Part One of the Second Night

When he wakes, the first thing he feels is his hand is wet.

Then he realises his wet hand is hanging over the edge of the couch.

Bark!

Anubis forces himself to sit up and blearily looks down at his jackal, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his clean hand. He's trying to gather why he's on the couch in formal clothes and, ugh, that smell coming off him. It smelt like the most horrible mix of alcohol and sweat. 

Coronation.

Running.

Horus.

The 'highlights' of last night fix themselves together to form a comprehensive memory of what happened before he ended up here.

Bark!

"What is it?" He asks the jackal, trying not to think so hard about last night. New ruler, new era, new problems. He leaves it at that, like last time.

'Breakfast,' his jackal tells him, 'Osiris summons you.'

Anubis jolts up, adrenaline running through him in a panic. He immediately makes for the bathing room. "What time is it?" He asks as he washes his hands. 

'The seventh hour.' The jackal sits by the open door, curiously watching his master rush about. 'The Lord of the house has summoned you twenty minutes ago.'

Anubis hurriedly strips off his robes and tosses them into the laundry bin for the servants to collect later. He grabs a cloth and thrusts it into a water basin.

"Please try something else next time," he chides, "We both know licking my hand is not enough to wake me up." 

He scrubs himself as quickly and as thoroughly as he could. He only needed to get rid of the more obvious dirt, grime and, hopefully, the smell too. It was far from satisfying (or his standards), making Anubis wrinkle his nose in disgust, but it will have to do.

Once his clothes are on, he's bolting out the door while he slips on his sandals. The dogs that rest in his hallway perk up at the sudden flash of movement, many rose to give their master chase. "Stay!" He shouts as he begins his descent down the stairs, causing them to fall back obediently. 

The dining room was located deeper in the palace on the first floor. Two guards are posted outside the unembellished stone doors. When they see Anubis approaching, they bow and smile as they opened the doors. They probably found his rush amusing. With how messy his hair was and how his legs were still dripping with water, he was inclined to agree. 

Inside the dining room, you won't see much. It was quaint and sparsely decorated, simple. In the middle of the room was a round dining table. It felt too small in comparison with how tall the columns were or how vast the walls stretched. But there it was, already filled with food. 

The environment exuded the feeling of family.

Perhaps that's why the table was small, to make meals more intimate. His uncle and aunt were there, and so was his mother. As familiar as it felt, it was still incomplete, his father was missing from the picture.

He's been missing for a long time.

Sometimes Anubis wonders if he's too selfish. He has an uncle who treats him like a son, an aunt who was just as caring, and a mother who loved him dearly. Wasn't that enough for him?

Osiris beckons him in. The food has remained untouched, and Anubis hurriedly takes his seat before they remain so. His ears get hot.

"Uncle, Aunty, Mother," he greets and bows his head apologetically. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No need to apologise! Even Isis had wanted to sleep in until the afternoon." His uncle playfully nudges his aunt.

"I will sleep in tomorrow, and you cannot stop me." Was her response. She says it with a tired tone although the smile on her face implied otherwise. 

Osiris gestures to a platter of bread that he knew Anubis would no doubt recognise. "We have honeyed cakes this morning!" 

He's glad that his uncle shares his enthusiasm for the treat. He smiles back at him.

As they begin to eat, they also converse. Isis cheerfully announces that a new loom has been delivered to her weaving room. "Fantastic workmanship on it," she said, "it's a sight!"

"What will you weave first?" Nephthys asks eagerly. She's always been a fan of her sister's works. 

Piece after piece, Anubis indulges himself. He really loves the sweetness of the bread. He listens to the women talk about crafting techniques, and occasionally, Osiris would pipe in with a witty joke or comment. 

"You should learn how to weave," Isis jokingly tells him, "I'm sure you'll do wonderfully."

Her husband laughs. "I doubt my fingers are as deft as yours, but I will try."

"You too, Nephew." She adds.

Anubis looks up from his breakfast. "Maybe I will." He replied smoothly before taking a bite out of his creation. He couldn't decide whether to eat pork first or mutton, although he can conclude that having mutton with this particular combination of greens and toppings is an abomination. Maybe having pork would be better.

Their meal is interrupted when a guard knocks.

"My lord, the goddess of the Third Hour, she requests an audience."

He doesn't part the doors to ensure privacy, and Anubis is thankful for that. He quickly swallows the food in his mouth as Osiris gives his consent. M'k-neb-set slips inside and bows. "Thank you for seeing me."

"M'k-neb-set, please, join us." His uncle motions to a vacant spot at the table and an extra chair appears, which the night goddess takes gratefully. When Osiris offers her food, she shakes her head. 

"I have come here with a message from Lord Ra." 

The room falls silent at the mention of his name. They all grew up beneath his rays, and they all understood that respect should follow suit when his name was mentioned. In this case, it meant silence.

"He wishes for Isis to join our journey when we arrive tonight." Her tone is monotonous and levelled. "He expects her to take the place of Set and continue filling in until he is found."

Isis opens her mouth to protest, her brows dipping angrily, but M'k-neb-set holds up her hand. "The search for the god of chaos has already begun, he has sent his son Montu to search for him. He expects Isis to own up to her foolishness."

The sudden violent rattling startles everyone at the table except for M'k-neb-set who seems to have expected this. Isis now stands, enraged.

"Foolishness?" She hisses.

"That is the word he used, yes," M'k-neb-set replies calmly. 

"FOOLISHNESS!?" Isis screeches, banging her fist on the table. It makes all the utensils and plates rattle once more. "HE DARES CALL ME FOOLISH!?"

"Love—" Osiris tries, but he is unable to quell her, for only Isis can quell herself.

"I refuse to be a substitute for that bastard! He took _everything_ away from me!" She snarls, "and what do I owe the sun god?! I do not owe him anything! He cannot request me to leave this place every night! I will not be a mere soldier like my brother was!"

M'k-neb-set frowns. "Watch your words, goddess of wisdom, whom you speak of is the true lord of all, even your domain does not escape his light."

Isis's face turns red with anger, and sparks of lightning and fire burst from her form. "The sun god has many servants, let him use them instead!"

"The lord Ra is adamant with his decision."

"Do you know," she moans, full of sorrow and hate. "How much I've gone through in order to restore what I've lost? I've had to sacrifice my dignity! Pose as a beggar!" 

Her husband looks on with sadness in his eyes, her sister with guilt, and her nephew with concealed surprise. He's never seen his aunt act in this way before.

"To hide like a hunted animal! Roam the wild as I search for my husband's corpse! I was alone! It was even worse when my son was in my belly," Isis laments, "a whore they called me! Because I had no husband, no family! I was deserted by my people!" 

She takes Osiris's hand. "I've toiled assiduously to have my husband returned to me, and I have _finally_ reunited my family. How can you ask me to leave them?"

M'k-neb-set stays silent. Perhaps in respect for the misery that Isis had gone through. Or she was waiting for further instructions from the sun god on how to respond.

"I'm sorry that you had to experience all of that," M'k-neb-set said, "however, Lord Ra's decision still stands."

"And I stand by mine!"

Suddenly the goddess of the Third Hour's body flares with blinding. All at the table avert their eyes as rays of searing light flash from her eye sockets and opened mouth. And out comes a voice, a voice that sends shivers down Anubis's spine; paper-thin, scratchy, and ancient. It reverberates in the chamber, making the table and decorations—both grounded and hung—tremble with the gravity of its power.

Ra.

"ISIS, YOU STUBBORN WOMAN."

His voice rang across the room, bouncing off the walls and pounding in their ears.

"YOU HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT FOR ME ONCE YOU STOLE MY _REN_. IF I HAVE TO REMIND YOU AGAIN WHO I AM, I WILL. OBEY, CHILD, KNOW YOUR PLACE."

The light is absorbed back into M'k-neb-set's body just as instantaneously as it had been emitted, and the goddess slumps over. 

The room is filled with the shock of what had just taken place. Anubis can feel his hands quiver, his mother has shrunk timidly in her chair, and his uncle is wide-eyed. Only Isis is unfazed, if not more frustrated. 

M'k-neb-set straightens her posture, expression unchanged. Her dark eyes never leave Isis. "So? Will you comply?"

The goddess of wisdom scowls. "You are not telling us everything, goddess of night. There is something amiss here. Lord Ra insists on having my brother back? Then that must mean that the chaos snake has grown stronger."

At the mention of the serpent, the room grows cold as though no scorching light had shined at all. Anubis's being felt like he had been plunged into cold water. There was one creature that both mortals and the gods fear, the serpent that resides in pure darkness and chaos. Nobody dares mention its name. 

M'k-neb-set tilts her head. "Astute observation, goddess of wisdom. It was unexpected and sudden. The Lord Ra has theorised that it had to do with Set's banishment from Egypt."

"It must be." Osiris's warm voice is welcomed in the freezing atmosphere. "Set embodies chaos, but he is also a god. Perhaps his exile has unsettled the balance of _ma'at_."

Isis turns to him with an incredulous expression. "Are you implying that I was the cause of this?" Her tone singes with betrayal. 

"He is correct," M'k-neb-set interjects, "Lord Ra's intention is that you pay penance until the balance is restored; when the god of chaos returns."

Isis clicked her tongue and glowered at the goddess before regaining her regal poise. Her face is still etched with displeasure. "I will serve," she said bitterly, "I do not like it, but I will do it."

M'k-neb-set nods, satisfied. "My purpose has been fulfilled then. Thank you for your hospitality. I will take my leave." She stands.

Anubis watches as Osiris moves to escort her out, followed by Isis. 

He couldn't bring himself to leave the chair. He thinks his legs have been rendered useless by the event. His mother is dazedly staring at where the night goddess sat, struggling to process what had just happened. However, Anubis understood perfectly clear.

His father was to return, return to his position as head guardian of the Mesektet, his original post before he swiped the throne.

Hope bubbled childishly in his chest, flitted about in his head. It was a foolish feeling, and it was one he cannot stop. There is a chance, he thinks, to see his family together again. If Father returns, then their family would be complete (vendettas been damned).

No... there is one more. Horus is ruling Egypt. He will be absent from the table.

Anubis mentally pinches himself. So what? He's perfectly content there. He's toiled over it his entire life, he should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labour. 

'He will still be missing nonetheless.'

__________

The House acclimates quickly to his aunt's absence. Now that she joins the Mesektet and its crew in their nightly journeys into the _duat_ , she spends the day recovering her energy for the next trip. 

Above them, there was a continuous celebration all across Egypt; there was merrymaking in the streets by all social classes, slaves were no longer slaves during this time. Temples and their keepers honoured only one god, the Pharaoh. But at the beginning of the second week under a new ruler; life slowly returns to normal, slaves are slaves again, and each temple turns back to their own patrons. 

It is also when he can meet with Bast by the Lake of Flowers.

The goddess herself has been engaged in the celebration; as a peoples' goddess, she celebrated with them. It was no wonder why she was a popular favourite amongst the common folk, Bast took their outstretched hands with her own, and all loved her for it.

Anubis sees the cat goddess already sitting there, high and far above the water, when he exits into the rolling hill.

She's wearing a short wig decorated with gold beads, and a leopard-hide sash around her waist to accompany the plainness of her _kalasiris_. A gold armband and green-bead bracelet are the only jewellery she wore. 

As he sneaks closer, he notices that she's singing something under her breath. An unknown tune with lyrics he's never heard before. 

"What is that you're singing?" He asks, looming over her back.

The song is interrupted with a hiss as Bast jumps away. When she catches Anubis's first fits of laugher, she glares at him. "Aren't you too mature for tricks like that, dog?"

Anubis shrugs and plops himself down next to her. "And where's the fun in that, cat?"

Bast shoves him hard, but she does so with a toothy grin. He returns it, fangs flashing against fangs. 

"So, what were you singing? I've never heard it before." He said, dusting his hands of the dirt.

"A new hymn to our new Pharoah," she answered, "plenty have been made over the week, they're rather catchy."

Anubis knew that new temples would have been erected for his cousin, although it slipped his mind that new songs would have been made as well.

"You should've been up there," Bast chided him, "at least for one day. It's so lively and fun. People were dancing, feasting, singing, playing games, it was fantastic."

"I'm content here," Anubis replied, "I just laid around and read the books I haven't finished yet."

Bast quirked a brow at him. "That is a lie, I bet you worked or did work of some kind."

Ah, she got him. He did take the week as an opportunity to clear off all his remaining desk work, but he also did relax.

"Fine, I did, but they were from before the holidays. I simply finished them up."

He watched feline eyes roll away from him. Bast's irises, like all children of Ra, were gold coloured. Hers were unique in that they had flecks of blue and green in them. 

"Really now, loosen up will you? You should've joined me! Stalls near my capital temple were selling the best grilled-fish! They have this taste that's somehow better than what's served by royal chefs! Have you ever tried street food?"

"Can't say I have."

The cat goddess does not look surprised, she diverts to another subject, knowing that only exasperation followed an answer like his. She chattered about the decorations they hung, funny things mortals have done, and how the palace's formal celebration went.

"It was held in this huge open-air reception hall, and all the gods (well not all) were present. When the festivity really began, we all danced! (You should've seen Thoth, he was hilarious) My sister was such a flaunter! That cow really needs reign it in."

"Bast, that is so rude. You can't speak of Hathor that way."

"Hey, I'm her sister! I know that she definitely knows what she's attempting to do!"

"Dance?"

Bast jabs at his chest with her finger, careful not to scratch him with her sharp nails. "Ooooh, you should've been there! Then you would get what I'm saying! She was doing it on purpose!"

"Did she impress?"

"Pfft, obviously! She was amazing!" Bast exclaimed, her irises glowing with sincerity. She often complained about her siblings, but she loved them all the same.

He almost asked if his childhood friend Montu was there.

"What about your other siblings? What are they doing now?" He inquires, "I understand that Montu left to look for Set."

Bast fingers her bracelet. "Hm, Hathor returned to father's mansion... Sekhmet is preparing for tonight's voyage, Mafdet is at the palace I think, working on laws, as for Khonsu... who knows what he's doing."

"I see, what about you?"

His friend shrugs. "I'm on duty tonight with Sekhmet and your aunt. Other than guarding the barge, I haven't been doing much... aside from my usual duties, that is."

She jumps up and stretches. Her body is lithe and thin, the smallest amongst her siblings despite being the third oldest. 

"Hey." She gestures for him stand. "Let's visit _Aaru_ for a while."

Upon seeing the 'no' already on Anubis's lips, she pouts. "Fine then, let's go because I need to check on my kittens."

Well, that was considered 'business' he supposed. Bast's temple in _Aaru_ housed all unclaimed felines, they resided in her temple until they were reunited with their family. His temple served the same purpose for canines. While they were there, he might as well do the same.

"Fair enough." Anubis rises.

As Anubis kneels at the banks, Bast stays a considerable distance away; she despises large water bodies.

When Anubis immerses his hand, he notices a bit of movement a few feet away.

That's... bizarre. Nothing can live in these waters beside the lake's own lilies. A trick of the light perhaps. The idea of some creature in the lake makes him nervous, he hurries to do his thing. 

The command is caught in his throat when he receives a warning.

_Something is in the water._

Before he can even register the message, he feels himself become weightless. His body hits the grass only seconds after he's sent flying, the ground beneath him caving with the amount of force he was slammed with. He could've sword he heard a crack somewhere, but more prominently was dull pain his head throbs with, and it keeps throbbing. 

Bast is shouting.

The pounding is worsened by the alarms ringing in his head. He thinks that he's broken something, he isn't sure what, the pain is melded together by the panic coursing throughout his entire body. He can only comprehend one thing, they were being attacked—the water sloshing violently and wildly. 

It's all happening too fast. 

Anubis can barely see through his blotchy vision. He forces his eyes to focus on the thing thrashing in the lake.

It's a bull.

No, those were bull horns. It's a hippo, with bull horns. He can't see its complete form because of the constant motion and splashes of water. Bast is a blur as she dodges the beast whenever it lunges at her, swiping at it with her knives in retaliation whilst desperately avoiding getting wet. He could barely follow the scene, all the movement made him dizzy and nauseous. His eyes shut in an attempt to stabilise himself.

They needed to get rid of it. Quick. If it was able to traverse the lake water, then the people in _Aaru_ were in danger. 

It itched in his mind (as if the throbbing wasn't enough) that something was off. But he just couldn't hypothesise anything right now. He knew Bast wasn't in any imminent danger, she could handle herself fine. The most urgent issue was killing the monster before it decides to go anywhere near _Aaru_ , and Bast was restrained due to the monster's refusal to leave the water. 

His eyes crack open, and a new wave of nausea hits him. If he could just push the monster onto the shore, Bast could deal the final blow. He moves his hand in the direction of the lake and stretches towards it. His muscles are screaming, and it feels as though his arm had been dipped into liquid fire. He bites his lip to keep him focused. Once that lost connection with the lake is found, he doesn't hesitate. "Flow," he gasped. 

The lake obeys, pulling its waters from the banks, and the monster along with it. With a swell, it pushes itself onto the shore. 

It was weaker than he'd like, but it was enough.

Bast leaps away from the oncoming wave and into the air. With grace and control, she swipes her blades in deadly arches, slicing through the creature's thick skin. 

The monster lets out a roar as its body dissipates into wisps of red smoke before seeping into the ground. Relief surges through Anubis's body, easing the pain for a bit. _Aaru_ was safe. 

When he refocuses his blurry vision on his friend, she's running to him, knives magically stored away. Swears and curses practically spew out of her mouth. Bast scoops him up with ease and begins to run.

"We need to get you to a healer!" Her voice is quivering. 

"Slow down..." he croaked, "head aches... tired... I want m'bed."

Something drips on his shoulder, it feels sticky which irritates him. Now he has to wipe himself down before climbing into bed. He weakly reaches over to examine it. When his fingertips return stained red, a realisation hits him.

Oh.

He finally blacks out.

__________

_The winds blow at his face, and the sand burns his feet._

_He's in the desert._

_Anubis is smaller than he remembers being, making the vastness of the desert even more petrifying._

_"Father?" He calls out. His voice is shrill and boyish, immature._

_He realises that he's alone, alone with the heat that has long started to bear on him. With a body drenched in sweat, he squats unsteadily on the sand in an attempt to put more distance between him and the sun._

_Something starts to eat at his feet, making its way up. He knows this pain well._

_'Not again,' he thinks, 'I can't, not again.'_

_He falls on his side when his legs are devoid of any feeling but gnawing and burning. When he glances down, they have already turned purple. The skin on them starts to decay. It's happening too fast._

_Staring up at the glare of the sun, he wants to call on the great god for help, pity maybe. Will he even listen? He doubted._

_His vision fades in and out from the sheer pain creeping up his abdomen. He collapses on his back, the burning sand does nothing to help his situation._

_The decay is in his stomach now. And he wants to die._

_'Make it stop!' His tears mix with his sweat, it's disgusting,_ dirty _. 'It hurts too much!'_

_"Mother!" He cries out. It hurts to even try._

_The desert swallows up his voice, making his efforts in vain._

_Hope fills his chest when a shadow falls over his body. When he breaks through the pain that blears his sight, his eyes widen. A few more droplets run down his cheeks._

_"F-father."_

_There is no concern on his father's face. He has nothing on his face but the shadow of disappointment; it darkens his features, looking at his son's shrivelling body._

_Anubis feebly reaches up. He wants to be taken home, to where it was safe, to where he has another chance at life. He would surely die if he remained here._

_The god of the desert stays completely still, even as his son weakly holds his ankle._

_"H-help," Anubis rasped. The heat has sucked all moisture from his throat. "Please...!"_

_His father continues to stare down at him, silent and judging. His red hair catches aflame under the sun's rays as the wind whips it. The intertwined gold in it flickers harshly, blinding him._

_When he realises that his father would not help him, his grip slackens. Of course, why even try?_

_His chest has been taken over by the decay, and he decides to let it take him. He had nothing to live for anyway; a son with no inheritance, a boy with no worth, a child promised to death since birth._

_Godhood? Prestige? He wanted to laugh. He hasn't even been draped with any of those, and it was being stripped away from him._

_His limbs can't move anymore, he can't feel them either. He lays at his father's feet, helplessly, like how his entire life has been. Helpless._

_As the decay to claims his throat, he sheds a few more tears; apologies to his mother for not being strong enough, apologies to his uncle and aunt for giving up on himself, apologies to his friends for having to go so soon._

_Apologies to himself, for being this way._

_The sand beneath him collapses, and he falls through it._

_He's falling into darkness, the last grains of sand falling with him. From what little light filters through, he could see darkness sloshing._

_He braces himself._

Anubis jerks and his eyes snap open, fists gripping the sheets tightly.

Sheets? 

"Oh! Thank my father!"

Bast is seated beside him on another bed, face full of relief. Her feline eyes are open wide, sparkling like gemstones. But the worry in them mars it. They look much better when they didn't have... any of that in them. 

His gaze sweeps across the room. Multiple beds, shelves stocked with woven containers, a large table in one corner where his aunt stood (his aunt?).

This was the infirmary.

Isis swirls to his direction, in her hands is a mortar. She hurries to seat herself down on the chair by his bedside. Her face appears calm, but her eyebrows betray her by drawing together.

She dips her fingers into the substance and dabs it on the side of his head. It's cold and viscous on his temple. "How are you feeling?" She asks.

"I... I feel fine," he replied, "how long have I been... unconscious?"

"Three hours," Bast answers, sulking in her seat. "I'm sorry, if I hadn't proposed what I did, you wouldn't be in this position."

If his arms didn't felt like straw, he would have waved it off. "You don't have to be sorry. We didn't know we would be attacked, it was completely unexpected."

And impossible.

He sits up too fast causing shadows to dance in his vision, hands fly to hold his head. 

"Lay back down, nephew, I've mended the physical damage, but your body is still recoiling from the magic and the trauma." Isis gently presses him back down. "You're on bed rest for three days."

"N-no, wait, I need to talk with uncle—"

"Bastet has already reported to him if that's what you're worried about." His aunt interjects. "She came rushing into the main hall, calling for help with you knocked out and bleeding in her arms. As soon as your condition has stabilised, she reported to Osiris."

Bast smiles at him. "Focus on recovering, you took a nasty hit. Lady Isis said you shouldn't have been able to stay conscious for the duration that you did, you were really messed up."

"Broken left arm from direct impact, fractured right arm from your landing, cracked skull around your right due to you landing on it, and abrasion also on your right when you skidded on the ground." His aunt supplied.

He winces. No healing magic like his aunt's, she was the elite when it came to spells.

Anubis doubts he could focus on anything else besides the situation at hand. The fact that a monster got past their defences (he'll have to check the border gates later) and somehow survived staying in the lake without being disintegrated implied very dire straits. He'll definitely discuss it with his uncle once he's off bedrest.

"Alright..." he muttered glumly, "what kind of monster was it? I couldn't make it out."

The cat goddess purses her lips. "It was a creature straight from the deeper parts of the _duat_. It had the snout and front legs of a hippo, the horns and torso of a bull, and its lower body was of a crocodile's."

The tail, it was the _tail_ that hit him. 

He couldn't help but feel even more pathetic. He should've been able to dodge it. Even if just barely. 

Isis stands to clean the mortar. "For now," she began, "don't get up or do anything strenuous with your body. If you need anything, just call the _shabti_ to retrieve it for you. Your condition was critical, so you'll need to take it easy if you want your body to recover quickly." Once the bowl is dried, it's placed back in its original spot.

Before she leaves, she says, "I'll let Osiris know that you've awoken. A servant will deliver your dinner, so please, just rest." Then exits the room.

It was just him and Bast.

"Stop that," he grumbles.

His friend tilts her head. "Stop what?"

"Stop with the guilt, it's practically radiating off you."

She slumps her shoulders lower. "I can't help it."

Anubis beckons her closer, and when she is, he nudges her. "If you didn't suggest going to _Aaru_ , we would've never learnt that there were monsters capable of infiltrating the premises."

Bast frowns. "Anubis, you got hurt. It damages my pride as a protector, kind of ironic that I can't even protect my best friend, isn't it?"

"Thanks," he replies jokingly, "but get over yourself, cat. Guilt isn't a good look on you."

She playfully glares at him. "It isn't, but pride is, and it's been blemished, dog."

"You'll recover it in no time."

Anubis glances over at the dial. "It's already the eighteenth hour. You're guarding the barge tonight right?"

"Yep, I'll hitch with your aunt."

"Well then, there's your chance at redemption if it's so important to you."

"I would hit you, but I can't as of now, so remind me when you're better."

He hastily shifts away when she mockingly claws at him, both giggling like children. 

"Of course, Bast, of course."

After dinner, Osiris comes to visit him.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, taking the seat that had been previously occupied by Isis. 

"I feel fine," he insisted, "please let me out of bed rest."

His uncle smiles. "If Isis says bed rest, then bed rest it is. She's the healer here."

Anubis falls back on the bed with a sigh.

"Isis informed me that you needed to talk to me, urgently, apparently."

Anubis rose again when business was mentioned. "Ah, yes. It concerns the breach—"

"It's been looked at."

Anubis blinks. Already? That was... efficient...

"Did they figure out how the gates were breached?" he inquired, "and why no alarms rang?"

Osiris clutches his hands, face tight. "There was no breach."

Dread rushed over him when the implications dawned. "The monster spawned in the lake."

Osiris nodded.

"How is that—is that possible?"

His uncle shakes his head. "It shouldn't be, but it means that creatures of chaos have become more formidable... it must be because of the imbalance of _ma'at_ and _isfet_. For it to have spawned in the lake... I think the matter has increased in urgency."

"We can post more guards around the banks and at the gates," Anubis suggested, "post some in _Aaru_ as well, just in case monsters spawn there."

The room falls silent. Who knew such a problem could occur? Especially after a war... it seems like Egypt wouldn't be settling down any time soon.

"It seems that we now have a stake in looking for my brother. I thought it didn't affect us directly at first, but the threat of having powerful beasts rise to the shallows is too much to ignore. Especially if they increase in numbers."

The most deadly creatures resided in the duat's deepest realms, near the chaos chamber (where the snake lived, Anubis fought back a shiver), they rarely ever attempted to surface. But if they managed to spawn even here...

"What of Egypt?" He asks, "the beasts may travel upward and endanger the people."

"That is Horus's problem," the Lord of the underworld says, smile lines crinkling further at the thought of his son. His hand lands on Anubis's shoulder. "You have many other things to worry about, do not worry about those out of your jurisdiction."

Right. Anubis didn't watch over the living, he watched over the dead. Now that there was a possibility that these monsters posed a problem to travelling souls, he needed to come up with a solution to protect them in their journey. 

"Yes, of course, my apologies, uncle."

"No need to apologise, nephew." His uncle sighs. "You take on so many burdens; watching over journeying souls, guiding them to the Hall, its upkeep, and recording down the justified. You even manage the different departments. You're not trying to steal my position as Lord as you?"

The last bit was a joke if Osiris's teasing smile was any indication. 

Anubis sinks into his bed. "I... I just try to be helpful."

"You are, nephew. Try to relax, many of these things can be delegated to others."

_'I don't trust others to do them.'_

He stays quiet, only nodding slowly.

"If I were honest, I don't know what I would be without all my duties," he admits, "truthfully, I... I often question if I'm even doing enough."

Osiris's gaze softens as he listens. After all, this was his closed-off nephew bearing his heart. "Believe me, you are doing more than enough, reassure yourself of that. I'm starting to think of lessening the number of responsibilities you hold here in the underworld."

"But—"

"Anubis, don't push yourself too hard. That isn't healthy, nor is it right. Don't think I haven't noticed. It concerns me."

He hates making trouble for others. Troubling his uncle especially was unacceptable.

"Nephew, I expect you to take it easier from now on," Osiris says sternly, "I'm here if you need to confide in someone. I only ask of you to be more forgiving of yourself. Why do you think I insist that you have days off? You opposed me furiously on that topic."

The memory comes to him instantaneously. It seemed so unforgiving then, to 'take a day off' when souls were anxiously waiting to be judged. It was like tormenting them. However, Osiris insisted that the judging can still continue without him.

'At least one of us should be present,' he had said, 'that would be fair.'

'Then you will have off-days, also.'

'... very well.'

Anubis wouldn't deny that he enjoyed his breaks very much, to the point where he felt guilty for taking them. He felt less guilt when Horus was still here to occupy him, looking after the little god was like another responsibility, just of another nature. 

Working made him feel needed, important, useful; a complex he must've developed as an unrecognised royal child. 

"I will leave you to rest." Osiris brings him in for a hug that he gratefully accepts. It's been a long time since he's hugged his uncle. "Recover well."

As Osiris leaves, the lights are extinguished immersing him in darkness.

Anubis falls back on his bed.

He thinks back to a tidbit of their conversation, 'be more forgiving of himself.' He doesn't think he can.

Maybe he was paranoid of being forgotten, of fading into obscurity. He worked so hard to make his godhood, he was afraid to lose it. It didn't come to him naturally like Bast, or Montu. If he stopped... then it would all disappear. 

Recalling the nightmare that his mind had concocted out of his memories, he can feel the decay gnaw at his feet. The pain felt all too real and familiar. 

He had many fears, succumbing back into sickness was one of them.

The god of the dead huddled deeper into his sheets and closed his eyes, hoping only good memories come to meet him in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Plot actually happening in the present! Because all the plot seemed to happened in the past!
> 
> The original title for act I of this chapter was 'Isis completely loses her shit.' But I toned it down during the editing process.
> 
> Anubis: damn, I really want my dad back.  
> Ra: WISH GRANTED.  
> Anubis: (•O•)!  
> Also Anubis: what about Horus.
> 
> I'm so glad we finally get to meet Bast! I love her. Also, Anubis with sharp teeth. Yes.
> 
> 1\. While it's mostly commonly agreed that Anubis had the head of a jackal, the Ancient Egyptians never explicitly called him a jackal, as in his epithet 'the dog who swallows millions.' Apparently they don't distinguish between dogs and jackals. However, they did have words for both, 'tsm' and 'sAb' respectively.  
> 2\. The reason why Anubis has the head of a black jackal is because of symbolic painting. Black was considered good, so they painted Anubis black like how they painted Osiris green. The Ancient Egyptians probably didn't see any black jackals/wolves.  
> 3\. Montu is a war god that mainly had to do with conquering. He was manifested from the 'scorching rays' of Ra, or as I like to call it 'on one particularly hellish day.' I made him the son of Ra because he was technically created from Ra.  
> 4\. So, ma'at is the concept of balance, truth, order, all that. The goddess Ma'at is a personification of that concept. Just like the personification of the year 'Renpet' (literally 'year').  
> 5\. Festivals ('heb') in Ancient Egypt were mostly held for different occasions like the new year or in celebration for a particular god. Depending on the nature of the festival, they celebrated differently. The lengths were varied, some can last 20 days.  
> 6\. Bast isn't depicted as a specific cat, but she was closely associated with 'Mau,' the cat who was often drawn cutting the head of Apep. Mau was painted yellow with spots, so I just assumed that it was either a leopard or cheetah, then settled for leopard. For the most part, Bast was a house cat, as they were like protectors on a personal level.  
> 7\. Hathor and Sekhmet are often two sides of the same coin. There are a lot of versions of what happens to Sekhmet after she falls asleep out of drunkenness. She's either reduced to Hathor or Bast, but my personal interpretation for the story is that Hathor was derived from Sekhmet and that Bast was a whole separate being. The confusion may have stemmed from the fact that Bast was originally a lioness until she became something much gentler.  
> 8\. Mafdet is lesser known out of the children of Ra. She's one of the oldest cat deities and is the goddess of legal justice and capital punishment.  
> 9\. Khonsu is the god of the moon amongst other things. His father is Amun, but since Amun only rose to prominence when merged with Ra, I've decided to simplify it. In truth, he was kind of a nobody.  
> 10\. When I wrote 'third oldest,' I based it on the date of when they first appeared on record. Sekhmet and Mafdet tie as they both first appear in the First Dynasty. Sekhmet appears around 2930 BCE, Mafdet is not as specific so I made her second oldest while Sekhmet (and Hathor, in turn) is the oldest. Bast appears around the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE).  
> 11\. Red hair has traces in ancient history. I was actually never aware that they had negative connotations or anything (I just genuinely thought red hair looked pretty). Set is mentioned to have 'white skin' and 'red hair.' It may be because of his connection to foreigners, but he has always been associated with the colour red which was considered evil.  
> 12\. Isfet is the concept of chaos and disorder. When used as a verb, it means 'to do evil.' Unlike Ma'at, Apep is not the personification of isfet. Rather, he is primordial being who wishes to return the world to its original unorganised and unbalanced state.
> 
> Extra fun fact: Anubis's Egyptian name Anpu means 'a royal child.' But his alternative name 'Inpu' (really just another way to read it) has a root in the word 'inp' which means 'to decay.'
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm glad to finally move the plot along HAHAHAHA. See you next chapter!


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